UC-NRLF 


THEFT 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    BOSTON    •    CHICAGO 
ATLANTA   •    SAN    FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LIMITED 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY   •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE   MACMILLAN   CO.    OF   CANADA,    LTD. 

TORONTO 


THEFT 

A  PLAY 

IN  FOUR  ACTS 


BY 

JACK    LONDON 

Author  of  "  Burning  Daylight,"  etc. 


Of  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


Jl2eto  SJorfe 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  &  CO.  LTD. 

1910 

All  rights   reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1910 
By  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published   November,    1910 


Berwick  &  Smith  Co.,  Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


ACT  I 

A  ROOM  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  SENATOR  CHALMERS 

ACT  II 
ROOMS  OF  HOWARD  KNOX  AT  HOTEL  WALTHAM 

ACT  III 

A  ROOM  IN  THE  WASHINGTON  HOUSE  OF 
ANTHONY  STARKWEATHER 

ACT  IV 

SAME  AS  ACT  I 

TIME  OF  PLAY,  To-DAY,  IN  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 
IT  OCCURS  IN  TWENTY  HOURS 


CHARACTERS 


MARGARET  CHALMERS  .  . 
HOWARD  KNOX  .... 
THOMAS  CHALMERS  .  . 

MASTER  THOMAS  CHALMERS 

ELLERY  JACKSON  HUBBARD 
ANTHONY    STARKWEATHER 


MRS.  STARKWEATHER  . 
CONNIE  STARKWEATHER 
FELIX  DOBLEMAN  .  . 


LINDA  DAVIS 


JULIUS  RUTLAND  . 
JOHN  GIFFORD  .  . 
MATSU  SAKARI  . 

DOLORES  ORTEGA   . 

SENATOR  DOWSETT 
MRS.  DOWSETT 


Wife    of    Senator    Chal 
mers 
A      Congressman      from 

Oregon 

A  United  States  Senator 
and  several  times  mil 
lionaire 

Son  of  Margaret  and 
Senator  Chalmers 

A  Journalist 

A  great  magnate,  and 
father  of  Margaret 
Chalmers 

His  wife 

Their  younger   daughter 

Secretary  to  Anthony 
Starkweather 

Maid  to  Margaret  Chal 
mers 

Episcopalian    Minister 

Labor  Agitator 

Secretary  of  Japanese 
Embassy 

Wife  of  Peruvian  Min 
ister 


Housekeeper,  Servants,  Agents,  etc. 


VI 1 


ACTORS'  DESCRIPTION  OF 
CHARACTERS 

MARGARET  CHALMERS.  Twenty-seven  years  of  age;  a 
strong,  mature  woman,  but  quite  feminine  where 
her  heart  or  sense  of  beauty  are  concerned.  Her 
eyes  are  wide  apart.  Has  a  dazzling  smile,  which 
she  knows  how  to  use  on  occasion.  Also,  on  occa 
sion,  she  can  be  firm  and  hard,  even  cynical.  An 
intellectual  woman,  and  at  the  same  time  a  very 
womanly  woman,  capable  of  sudden  tendernesses, 
flashes  of  emotion,  and  abrupt  actions.  She  is  a 
finished  product  of  high  culture  and  refinement, 
and  at  the  same  time  possesses  robust  vitality  and 
instinctive  right-promptings  that  augur  well  for  the 
future  of  the  race. 

HOWARD  KNOX.     He  might  have  been  a  poet,  but  was 
turned  politician.     Inflamed   with  love  for  human 
ity.     Thirty-five  years  of  age.     He  has  his   vision, 
and    must    follow    it.     He    has    suffered    ostracism 
because  of  it,  and  has  followed  his  vision  in  spite 
of    abuse    and    ridicule.     Physically,    a    well-built, 
powerful  man.     Strong-featured  rather  than  hand 
some.    Very    much    in    earnest,    and,    despite    his 
university  training,  a  trifle  awkward  in  carriage  and 
demeanor,    lacking    in    social    ease.     He    has    been 
elected    to    Congress    on    a    reform    ticket,    and    is 
almost   alone   in  fight  he  is   making.    He   has   no 
party  to  back  him,  though  he  has  a  following  of  a 
few  independents  and  insurgents. 


x    ACTORS'  DESCRIPTION  OF  CHARACTERS 

THOMAS  CHALMERS.  Forty-five  to  fifty  years  of  age. 
Iron-gray  mustache.  Slightly  stout.  A  good  liver, 
much  given  to  Scotch  and  soda,  with  a  weak  heart. 
Is  liable  to  collapse  any  time.  If  anything,  slightly 
lazy  or  lethargic  in  his  emotional  life.  One  of  the 
"owned"  senators  representing  a  decadent  New 
England  state,  himself  master  of  the  state  political 
machine.  Also,  he  is  nobody's  fool.  He  possesses 
the  brain  and  strength  of  character  to  play  his 
part.  His  most  distinctive  feature  is  his  tempera 
mental  opportunism. 

MASTER  THOMAS  CHALMERS.  Six  years  of  age.  Sturdy 
and  healthy  despite  his  grandmother's  belief  to  the 
contrary. 

ELLERY  JACKSON  HUBBARD.  Thirty-eight  to  forty  years 
of  age.  Smooth-shaven.  A  star  journalist  with  a 
national  reputation;  a  large,  heavy-set  man,  with 
large  head,  large  hands — everything  about  him  is 
large.  A  man  radiating  prosperity,  optimism  and 
selfishness.  Has  no  morality  whatever.  Is  a  con 
scious  individualist,  cold-blooded,  pitiless,  working 
only  for  himself,  and  believing  in  nothing  but  him 
self. 

ANTHONY  STARKWEATHER.  An  elderly,  well  preserved 
gentleman,  slenderly  built,  showing  all  the  signs  of 
a  man  who  has  lived  clean  and  has  been  almost  an 
ascetic.  One  to  whom  the  joys  of  the  flesh  have 
had  little  meaning.  A  cold,  controlled  man  whose 
one  passion  is  for  power.  Distinctively  a  man  of 
power.  An  eagle-like  man,  who,  by  keenness  of 
brain  and  force  of  character,  has  carved  out  a 
fortune  of  hundreds  of  millions.  In  short,  an 


ACTORS'  DESCRIPTION  OF  CHARACTERS  xi 

industrial  and  financial  magnate  of  the  first  water 
and  of  the  finest  type  to  be  found  in  the  United 
States.  Essentially  a  moral  man,  his  rigid  New 
England  morality  has  suffered  a  sea  change  and 
developed  into  the  morality  of  the  master-man  of 
affairs,  equally  rigid,  equally  uncompromising,  but 
essentially  Jesuitical  in  that  he  believes  in  doing 
wrong  that  right  may  come  of  it.  He  is  absolutely 
certain  that  civilization  and  progress  rest  on  his 
shoulders  and  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  small 
group  of  men  like  him. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER.  Of  the  helpless,  comfortably 
stout,  elderly  type.  She  has  not  followed  her 
husband  in  his  moral  evolution.  She  is  the  crea 
ture  of  old  customs,  old  prejudices,  old  New  Eng 
land  ethics.  She  is  rather  confused  by  the  modern 
rush  of  life. 

CONNIE  STARKWEATHER.  Margaret's  younger  sister, 
twenty  years  old.  She  is  nothing  that  Margaret 
is,  and  everything  that  Margaret  is  not.  No  essen 
tial  evil  in  her,  but  has  no  mind  of  her  own— hope 
lessly  a  creature  of  convention.  Gay,  laughing, 
healthy,  buxom— a  natural  product  of  her  care-free 
environment. 

FELIX  DOBLEMAN.  Private  secretary  to  Anthony  Stark 
weather.  A  young  man  of  correct  social  deport 
ment,  thoroughly  and  in  all  things  just  the  sort  of 
private  secretary  a  man  like  Anthony  Starkweather 
would  have.  He  is  a  weak-souled  creature,  timor 
ous,  almost  effeminate. 

LINDA  DAVIS.  Maid  to  Margaret.  A  young  woman  of 
twenty-five  or  so,  blond,  Scandinavian,  though 


xii  ACTORS'  DESCRIPTION  OF  CHARACTERS 

American-born.  A  cold  woman,  almost  featureless 
because  of  her  long  years  of  training,  but  with  a 
hot  heart  deep  down,  and  characterized  by  an 
intense  devotion  to  her  mistress.  Wild  horses 
could  drag  nothing  from  her  where  her  mistress  is 
concerned. 

JULIUS  RUTLAND.  Having  no  strong  features  about 
him,  the  type  realizes  itself. 

JOHN  GIFFORD.  A  labor  agitator.  A  man  of  the  people, 
rough-hewn,  narrow  as  a  labor-leader  may  well  be, 
earnest  and  sincere.  He  is  a  proper,  better  type  of 
labor-leader. 

MATSU  SAKARI.  Secretary  of  Japanese  Embassy.  He 
is  the  perfection  of  politeness  and  talks  classical 
book-English.  He  bows  a  great  deal. 

DOLORES  ORTEGA.  Wife  of  Peruvian  Minister;  bright 
and  vivacious,  and  uses  her  hands  a  great  deal  as 
she  talks,  in  the  Latin-American  fashion. 

SENATOR  DOWSETT.     Fifty  years  of  age;  well  preserved. 
MRS.  DOWSETT.     Stout  and  middle-aged. 


ACT  I 

A  ROOM  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF 
SENATOR  CHALMERS 


ACT  I 


ACT  I 

SCENE.  In  SENATOR  CHALMERS'  home.  It  is  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  a  modern  living  room 
with  appropriate  furnishings.  In  particular,  in 
front,  on  left,  a  table  prepared  for  the  serving  of 
tea,  all  excepting  the  tea  urn  itself.  At  rear,  right 
of  center,  is  main  entrance  to  the  room.  Also, 
doorways  at  sides,  on  left  and  right. 
Curtain  discloses  CHALMERS  and  HUBBARD  seated 
loungingly  at  the  right  front. 

HUBBARD 

(After    an    apparent    pause    for    cogita 
tion.) 

I  can't  understand  why  an  old  wheel-horse 
like  Elsworth  should  kick  over  the  traces  that 
way. 

CHALMERS 

Disgruntled.  Thinks  he  didn't  get  his  fair 
share  of  plums  out  of  the  Tariff  Committee. 
Besides,  it's  his  last  term.  He's  announced  that 
he's  going  to  retire. 

HUBBARD 

(Snorting  contemptuously,  mimicking  an 
old  man's  pompous  enunciation.) 
3 


4  THEFT  ACT  i 

"A  Resolution  to  Investigate  the  High  Cost 
of  Living!"  — old  Senator  Elsworth  introduc 
ing  a  measure  like  that !  The  old  buck ! 

How  are  you  going  to  handle  it? 

CHALMERS 
It's  already  handled. 

HUBBARD 
Yes? 

CHALMERS 

(Pulling  his  mustache.) 

Turned  it  over  to  the  Committee  to  Audit  and 
Control  the  Contingent  Expenses  of  the  Senate. 

HUBBARD 

(Grinning  his  appreciation.) 
And    you're    chairman.     Poor    old    Elsworth. 
This  way  to  the  lethal  chamber,  and  the  bill's 
on  its  way. 

CHALMERS 

Elsworth  will  be  retired  before  it's  ever 
reported.  In  the  meantime,  say  after  a  decent 
interval,  Senator  Hodge  will  introduce  another 
resolution  to  investigate  the  high  cost  of  living. 
It  will  be  like  Elsworth's,  only  it  won't. 


ACT  I  THEFT  5 

HUBBARD 

(Nodding  his  head  and  anticipating.) 
And  it  will  go  to  the  Committee  on  Finance 
and  come  back  for  action  inside  of  twenty-four 
hours. 

CHALMERS 

By  the  way,  I  see  Cartwrighfs  Magazine 
has  ceased  muck-raking. 

HUBBARD 

Cart-wright's  never  did  muck-rake — that  is, 
not  the  big  Interests — only  the  small  independ 
ent  businesses  that  didn't  advertise. 

CHALMERS 

Yes,  it  deftly  concealed  its  reactionary  tenden 
cies. 

HUBBARD 

And  from  now  on  the  concealment  will  be  still 
more  deft.  I've  gone  into  it  myself.  I  have  a 
majority  of  the  stock  right  now. 

CHALMERS 

I  thought  I  had  noticed  a  subtle  change  in 
the  last  two  numbers. 


6  THEFT  ACT  i 

HUBBARD 

(Nodding.) 

We're  still  going  on  muck-raking.  We  have 
a  splendid  series  on  Aged  Paupers,  demanding 
better  treatment  and  more  sanitary  conditions. 
Also  we  are  going  to  run  "Barbarous  Venezuela" 
and  show  up  thoroughly  the  rotten  political  man 
agement  of  that  benighted  country. 

CHALMERS 

(Nods  approvingly,  and,  after  a  pause.) 
And   now   concerning   Knox.     That's   what   I 
sent   for  you  about.     His   speech  comes  off  to 
morrow  per   schedule.     At  last  we've  got  him 
where  we  want  him. 

HUBBARD 

I  have  the  ins  and  outs  of  it  pretty  well. 
Everything's  arranged.  The  boys  have  their 
cue,  though  they  don't  know  just  what's  going 
to  be  pulled  off;  and  this  time  to-morrow  after 
noon  their  dispatches  will  be  singing  along  the 
wires. 

CHALMERS 

(Firmly  and  harshly.) 
This  man  Knox  must  be  covered  with  ridicule, 


ACT  i  THEFT  7 

swamped  with  ridicule,  annihilated  with  ridicule. 

HUBBARD 

It  is  to  laugh.  Trust  the  great  American 
people  for  that.  We'll  make  those  little  Western 
editors  sit  up.  They've  been  swearing  by  Knox, 
like  a  little  tin  god.  Roars  of  laughter  for  them. 

CHALMERS 
Do   you   do  anything   yourself? 

HUBBARD 

Trust  me.  I  have  my  own  article  for  Cart- 
wright's  blocked  out.  They're  holding  the 
presses  for  it.  I  shall  wire  it  along  hot-footed 
to-morrow  evening.  Say ? 

CHALMERS 

(After  a  pause.) 
Well? 

HUBBARD 

Wasn't  it  a  risky  thing  to  give  him  his 
chance  with  that  speech? 


8  THEFT  ACT  , 

CHALMERS 

It  was  the  only  feasible  thing.  He  never  has 
given  us  an  opening.  Our  service  men  have 
camped  on  his  trail  night  and  day.  Private  life 
as  unimpeachable  as  his  public  life.  But  now 
is  our  chance.  The  gods  have  given  him  into 
our  hands.  That  speech  will  do  more  to  break 
his  influence — 

HUBBARD 
(Interrupting.} 
Than  a  Fairbanks  cocktail. 

(Both  laugh.) 

But  don't  forget  that  this  Knox  is  a  live  wire. 
Somebody  might  get  stung.  Are  you  sure,  when 
he  gets  up  to  make  that  speech,  that  he  won't 
be  able  to  back  it  up  ? 

CHALMERS 
No  danger  at  all. 

HUBBARD 

But  there  are  hooks  and  crooks  by  which  facts 
are  sometimes  obtained. 

CHALMERS 
(Positively. ) 
Knox  has  nothing  to  go  on  but  suspicions  and 


THEFT  9 

hints,  and  unfounded  assertions  from  the  yellow 

press. 

(Man-servant    enters,    goes   to    tea-table, 
looks  it  over,   and  makes  slight  rear 
rangements.) 
(Lowering  his  voice.) 

He  will  make  himself  a  laughing  stock.     His 
charges  will  turn  into  boomerangs.     His  speech 
will  be  like  a  sheet  from  a  Sunday  supplement, 
with  not  a  fact  to  back  it  up. 
(Glances  at  Servant.) 

We'd  better  be  getting  out  of  here.     They're 
going  to  have  tea. 

(The  Servant,  however,  makes  exit.) 
Come  to  the  library  and  have  a  high-ball. 
(They  pause  as  HUBBARD  speaks.) 

HUBBARD 

(With  quiet  glee.) 
And  to-morrow  Ali  Baba  gets  his. 

CHALMERS 
Ali  Baba? 

HUBBARD 
That's  what  your  wife  calls  him— Knox. 


10  THEFT 

CHALMERS 


Oh,  yes,  I  believe  I've  heard  it  before.  It's 
about  time  he  hanged  himself,  and  now  we've 
given  him  the  rope. 


HUBBARD 

(Sinking  voice  and  becoming  deprecat- 
ingly  confidential.) 

Oh,  by  the  way,  just  a  little  friendly  warning, 
Senator  Chalmers.  Not  so  fast  and  loose  up 
New  York  way.  That  certain  lady,  not  to  be 
mentioned  —  there's  gossip  about  it  in  the  New 
York  newspaper  offices.  Of  course,  all  such 
stories  are  killed.  But  be  discreet,  be  discreet. 
If  Gherst  gets  hold  of  it,  he'll  play  it  up  against 
the  Administration  in  all  his  papers. 

(CHALMERS,  who  throughout  this  speech 
is  showing  a  growing  resentment,  is 
about  to  speak,  when  voices  are  heard 
without  and  he  checks  himself.) 

(Enter.  MRS.  STARKWEATHER,  rather 
-flustered  and  imminently  in  danger  of 
a  collapse,  followed  by  CONNIE  STARK 
WEATHER,  fresh,  radiant,  and  joyous.) 


ACT  I 


THEFT  II 


MRS.  STARKWEATHER 
(With  appeal  and  relief.) 

Oh Tom! 

(CHALMERS  takes  her  hand  sympathetic 
ally   and   protectingly.) 

CONNIE 

(Who   is   an   exuberant   young   woman, 

bursts  forth.) 

Oh,  brother-in-law !  Such  excitement !  That's 
what's  the  matter  with  mother.  We  ran  into 
a  go-cart.  Our  chauffeur  was  not  to  blame.  It 
was  the  woman's  fault.  She  tried  to  cross  just 
as  we  were  turning  the  corner.  But  we  hardly 
grazed  it.  Fortunately  the  baby  was  not  hurt 
— only  spilled.  It  was  ridiculous. 

(Catching  sight  of  HUBBARD.) 
Oh,  there  you  are,   Mr.   Hubbard.     How   de 
do. 

(Steps  half  way  to  meet  him  and  shakes 

hands  with  him.) 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER  looks  around  help 
lessly  for  a  chair,  and  CHALMERS  con 
ducts  her  to  one  soothingly.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 
Oh,   it  was   terrible!     The   little  child   might 


12  THEFT  ACT  i 

have  been  killed.      And  such  persons  love  their 
babies,  I  know. 

CONNIE 

(To  CHALMERS.) 

Has  father  come?  We  were  to  pick  him  up 
here.  Where's  Madge? 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Espying  HUBBARB,  faintly.) 
Oh,  there  is  Mr.  Hubbard. 

(HUBBARD    comes    to    her    and    shakes 

hands.) 

I  simply  can't  get  used  to  these  rapid  ways  of 
modern  life.  The  motor-car  is  the  invention  of 
the  devil.  Everything  is  too  quick.  When  I 
was  a  girl,  we  lived  sedately,  decorously.  There 
was  time  for  meditation  and  repose.  But  in 
this  age  there  is  time  for  nothing.  How  Anthony 
keeps  his  head  is  more  than  I  can  understand. 
But,  then,  Anthony  is  a  wonderful  man. 

HUBBARD 

I  am  sure  Mr.  Starkweather  never  lost  his 
head  in  his  life. 

CHALMERS 

Unless  when  he  was  courting  you,  mother. 


ACT  I  THEFT  13 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(A  triile  grimly.) 
I'm  not  so  sure  about  that. 

CONNIE 

(Imitating  a  grave,  business-like  enuncia 
tion.) 

Father  probably  conferred  first  with  his  asso 
ciates,  then  turned  the  affair  over  for  considera 
tion  by  his  corporation  lawyers,  and,  when  they 
reported  no  flaws,  checked  the  first  spare  half 
hour  in  his  notebook  to  ask  mother  if  she  would 
have  him. 

(They  laugh.) 

And  looked  at  his  watch  at  least  twice  while 
he  was  proposing. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 
Anthony  was  not  so  busy  then  as  all  that. 

HUBBARD 

He  hadn't  yet  taken  up  the  job  of  running  the 
United  States. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 
I'm  sure  I  don't  know   what  he   is  running, 


14  THEFT  ACT  i 

but  he  is  a  very  busy   man — business,  politics, 
and  madness;  madness,  politics,  and  business. 

(She  stops  breathlessly  and  glances  at  tea- 
table.) 

Tea.  I  should  like  a  cup  of  tea.  Connie,  I 
shall  stay  for  a  cup  of  tea,  and  then,  if  your 
father  hasn't  come,  we'll  go  home. 

(To  CHALMERS.) 
Where  is  Tommy? 

CHALMERS 

Out   in  the   car   with   Madge. 

(Glances  at  tea-table  and  consults  watch.) 
She  should  be  back  now. 

CONNIE 

Mother,  you  mustn't  stay  long.  I  have  to 
dress. 

CHALMERS 

Oh,  yes,  that  dinner. 

( Yawns. ) 
I  wish  I  could  loaf  to-night. 

CONNIE 

(Explaining  to  HUBBARD.) 
The  Turkish  Charge  d'Affaires — I  never  can 


ACT  i  THEFT  15 

remember  his  name.  But  he's  great  fun — a  posi 
tive  joy.  He's  giving  the  dinner  to  the  British 
Ambassador. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Starting  forward  in  her  chair  and  listen 
ing  intently.) 
There's  Tommy,  now. 

(Voices  of  MARGARET  CHALMERS  and  of 
TOMMY  heard  from  without.  Hers  is 
laughingly  protesting,  while  TOMMY'S  is 
gleefully  insistent.) 

(MARGARET  and  TOMMY  appear  and  pause 
just  outside  door,  holding  each  other's 
hands,  facing  each  other,  too  immersed 
in  each  other  to  be  aware  of  the  pres 
ence  of  those  inside  the  room.  MAR 
GARET  and  TOMMY  are  in  street  cos 
tume.) 

TOMMY 
(Laughing.) 
But  mama. 

MARGARET 

(Herself  laughing,  but  shaking  her  head.) 
No. 

TOMMY 
First— 


16  THEFT  ACT  i 

MARGARET 

No ;  you  must  run  along  to  Linda,  now,  moth 
er's  boy.  And  we'll  talk  about  that  some  other 
time. 

(TOMMY  notices  for  the  first  time  that 
there  are  persons  in  the  room.  He 
peeps  in  around  the  door  and  espies 
MRS.  STARKWEATHER.  At  the  same 
moment,  impulsively,  he  withdraws  his 
hands  and  runs  in  to  MRS.  STARK 
WEATHER. 

TOMMY 

(Who   is    evidently   fond   of   his  grand 
mother.) 
Grandma ! 

(They  embrace  and  make  much  of  each 
other.) 

(MARGARET  enters,  appropriately  greeting 
the  others — a  kiss  (maybe)  to  CONNIE, 
and  a  slightly  cold  handshake  to  HUB- 
BARD.) 

MARGARET 

(To  CHALMERS.) 

Now  that  you're  here,  Tom,  you  mustn't  run 
away. 

(Greets  MRS.  STARKWEATHER.) 


ACT  i  THEFT  17 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Turning  TOMMY'S  face  to  the  light  and 

looking  at  it  anxiously.) 
A  trifle  thin,  Margaret. 

MARGARET 
On  the  contrary,  mother 


MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(To  CHALMERS.) 
Don't  you  think  so,  Tom? 

CONNIE 

(Aside  to  HUBBARD.) 
Mother  continually  worries  about  his  health. 

HUBBARD 

A  sturdy  youngster,  I  should  say. 
TOMMY 

(To  CHALMERS.) 
I'm  an  Indian,  aren't  I,  daddy  ? 

CHALMERS 

(Nodding  his  head  emphatically.) 
And  the  stoutest-hearted  in  the  tribe. 
2 


18  THEFT  ACT  i 

( LINDA  appears  in  doorway,  evidently 
looking  for  TOMMY,  and  CHALMERS 
notices  her.) 

There's   Linda  looking  for  you,  young  stout 
heart. 

MARGARET 

Take   Tommy,    Linda.     Run   along,    mother's 
boy. 

TOMMY 

Come  along,  grandma.     I  want  to  show  you 
something. 

(He  catches  MRS.  STARKWEATHER  by  the 
hand.  Protesting,  but  highly  pleased, 
she  allows  him  to  lead  her  to  the  door, 
where  he  extends  his  other  hand  to 
LINDA.  Thus,  pausing  in  doorway, 
leading  a  woman  by  either  hand,  he 
looks  back  at  MARGARET.) 
(Roguishly.) 

Remember,  mama,  we're  going  to  scout  in  a 
little  while. 

MARGARET 

(Going   to   TOMMY,    and    bending   down 

ivith  her  arms  around  him.) 
No,  Tommy.     Mama  has  to  go  to  that  horrid 
dinner  to-night.     But  to-morrow  we'll  play. 


ACT  i  THEFT  19 

(TOMMY  is  cast  down  and  looks  as  if  he 

might  pout.) 
Where  is  my  little  Indian  now? 

HUBBARD 
Be  an  Indian,  Tommy. 

TOMMY 

(  Brigh  tening   up . ) 

All  right,  mama.     To-morrow if  you 

can't  find  time  to-day. 

(MARGARET  kisses  him.) 
(Exit  TOMMY,  MRS.  STARKWEATHER,  and 
LINDA,  TOMMY  leading  them  by  a  hand 
in  each  of  theirs.) 

CHALMERS 

(Nodding  to  HUBBARD,  in  low  voice  to 
HUBBARD  and  starting  to  make  exit  to 
right.) 
That  high-ball. 

(HUBBARD  disengages  himself  from  prox 
imity  of  CONNIE,  and  starts  to  follow.) 

CONNIE 

(Reproachfully.) 
If  you  run  away,  I  won't  stop  for  tea. 


2O  THEFT  ACT  i 

MARGARET 

Do  stop,  Tom.  Father  will  be  here  in  a  few 
minutes. 

CONNIE 

A  regular  family  party. 

CHALMERS 

All  right.  We'll  be  back.  We're  just  going 
to  have  a  little  talk. 

(CHALMERS  and  HUBBARD  make  exit  to 

right.) 

(MARGARET  puts  her  arm  impulsively 
around  CONNIE — a  sheerly  spontaneous 
act  of  affection — kisses  her,  and  at  same 
time  evinces  preparation  to  leave.) 

MARGARET 

I've  got  to  get  my  things  off.  Won't  you  wait 
here,  dear,  in  case  anybody  comes?  It's  nearly 
time. 

(Starts  toward  exit  to  rear,  but  is  stopped 

by  CONNIE.) 
Madge. 

(MARGARET  immediately  pauses  and  waits 
expectantly,  smiling,  while  CONNIE  is 
hesitant.) 


ACT  I  THEFT  21 

I  want  to  speak  to  you  about  something, 
Madge.  You  don't  mind? 

(MARGARET,     still    smiling,    shakes    her 

head.) 

Just  a  warning.  Not  that  anybody  could  be 
lieve  for  a  moment,  there  is  anything  wrong, 

but 

MARGARET 

(Dispelling  a  shadow  of  irritation  that  has 

crossed  her  face.) 

If  it  concerns  Tom,  don't  tell  me,  please.  You 
know  he  does  do  ridiculous  things  at  times.  But 
I  don't  let  him  worry  me  any  more;  so  don't 
worry  me  about  him. 

(CONNIE  remains  silent,  and  MARGARET 

grows  curious.) 
Well? 

CONNIE 

It's  not  about  Tom — 

(Pauses.) 
It's  about  you. 

MARGARET 
Oh. 

CONNIE 
I  don't  know  how  to  begin. 


22  THEFT  ACT  i 

MARGARET 

By  coming  right  out  with  it,  the  worst  of  it,  all 
at  once,  first. 

CONNIE 

It  isn't  serious  at  all,  but— well,  mother  is 
worrying  about  it.  You  know  how  old-fash 
ioned  she  is.  And  when  you  consider  our  posi 
tion — father's  and  Tom's,  I  mean — it  doesn't 
seem  just  right  for  you  to  be  seeing  so  much  of 
such  an  enemy  of  theirs.  He  has  abused  them 
dreadfully,  you  know.  And  there's  that  dreadful 
speech  he  is  going  to  give  to-morrow.  You 
haven't  seen  the  afternoon  papers.  He  has  made 
the  most  terrible  charges  against  everybody — all 
of  us,  our  friends,  everybody. 

MARGARET 

You  mean  Mr.  Knox,  of  course.  But  he 
wouldn't  harm  anybody,  Connie,  dear. 

CONNIE 
(Bridling.) 

Oh,  he  wouldn't?  He  as  good  as  publicly 
called  father  a  thief. 

MARGARET 
When  did  that  happen?     I  never  heard  of  it. 


ACT  i  THEFT  23 

CONNIE 

Well,  he  said  that  the  money  magnates  had 
grown  so  unprincipled,  sunk  so  low,  that  they 
would  steal  a  mouse  from  a  blind  kitten. 

MARGARET 
I  don't  see  what  father  has  to  do  with  that. 

CONNIE 
He  meant  him  just  the  same. 

MARGARET 

You  silly  goose.  He  couldn't  have  meant 
father.  Father?  Why,  father  wouldn't  look  at 
anything  less  than  fifty  or  a  hundred  millions. 

CONNIE 

And  you  speak  to  him  and  make  much  of  him 

when   you   meet   him   places.     You  talked   with 

him  for  half  an  hour  at  that  Dugdale  reception. 

You  have  him  here  in  your  own  house — Tom's 

house — when  he's  such  a  bitter  enemy  of  Tom's. 

(During  the  foregoing  speech,  ANTHONY 

STARKWEATHER    makes   entrance   from 

rear.     His  face  is  grave,  and  he  is  in  a 

brown  study,  as  if  pondering  weighty 


24  THEFT  ACT  i 

problems.  At  sight  of  the  two  women 
he  pauses  and  surveys  them.  They  are 
unaware  of  his  presence.) 

MARGARET 

You  are  wrong,  Connie.  He  is  nobody's  en 
emy.  He  is  the  truest,  cleanest,  most  right-seek 
ing  man  I  have  ever  seen. 

CONNIE 

(Interrupting.) 

He  is  a  trouble-maker,  a  disturber  of  the  pub 
lic  peace,  a  shallow-pated  demagogue — 

MARGARET 

(Reprovingly.) 

Now  you're  quoting  somebody father,  I 

suppose.     To   think   of  him  being  so  abused— 
poor,  dear  AH  Baba — 

STARKWEATHER 

(Clearing  his  throat  in  advertisement  of 

his  presence.) 
A-hem. 

(MARGARET    and    CONNIE    turn    around 
abruptly  and  discover  him.) 


ACT  i  THEFT  25 

MARGARET  and  CONNIE 
Father ! 

(Both  come  forward  to  greet  him,  MAR 
GARET  leading.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Anticipating,     showing     the     deliberate 
method  of  the  busy  man  saving  time  by 
eliminating    the    superfluous.) 
Fine,  thank  you.     Quite  well  in  every  partic 
ular.     This  Ali  Baba?     Who  is  Ali  Baba? 

(MARGARET    looks    amused    reproach    at 
CONNIE.) 

CONNIE 

Mr.  Howard  Knox. 

STARKWEATHER 

And  why  is  he  called  Ali  Baba  ? 
MARGARET 

That  is  my  nickname  for  him.  In  the  den  of 
thieves,  you  know.  You  remember  your  Ara 
bian  Nights. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Severely.) 
I  have  been  wanting  to  speak  to  you  for  some 


26  THEFT  ACT  i 

time,  Margaret,  about  that  man.  You  know 
that  I  have  never  interfered  with  your  way  of 
life  since  your  marriage,  nor  with  your  and 
Tom's  housekeeping  arrangements.  But  this 
man  Knox.  I  understand  that  you  have  even 
had  him  here  in  your  house — 

MARGARET 

(Interrupting.) 

He  is  very   liable   to  be  here   this  afternoon, 
any  time,  now. 

(CONNIE     displays     irritation     at     MAR 
GARET.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Continuing  imperturbably.) 
Your  house — you,  my  daughter,  and  the  wife 
of  Senator  Chalmers.  As  I  said,  I  have  not  in 
terfered  with  you  since  your  marriage.  But  this 
Knox  affair  transcends  household  arrangements. 
It  is  of  political  importance.  The  man  is  an  en 
emy  to  our  class,  a  firebrand.  Why  do  you  have 
him  here? 

MARGARET 

Because  I  like  him.     Because  he  is  a  man  I 
am  proud  to  call  "friend."     Because  I  wish  there 


ACT  i  THEFT  27 

were  more  men  like  him,  many  more  men  like 
him,  in  the  world.  Because  I  have  ever  seen 
in  him  nothing  but  the  best  and  highest.  And, 
besides,  it's  such  good  fun  to  see  how  one  virtu 
ous  man  can  so  disconcert  you  captains  of  in 
dustry  and  arbiters  of  destiny.  Confess  that  you 
are  very  much  disconcerted,  father,  right  now. 
He  will  be  here  in  a  few  minutes,  and  you  will 
be  more  disconcerted.  Why?  Because  it  is  an 
affair  that  transcends  family  arrangements.  And 
it  is  your  affair,  not  mine. 

STARKWEATHER 

This  man  Knox  is  a  dangerous  character — 
one  that  I  am  not  pleased  to  see  any  of  my 
family  take  up  with.  He  is  not  a  gentleman. 

MARGARET 

He  is  a  self-made  man,  if  that  is  what  you 
mean,  and  he  certainly  hasn't  any  money. 

CONNIE 

(Interrupting.) 

He  says  that  money  is  theft — at  least  when 
it  is  in  the  hands  of  a  wealthy  person. 


28  THEFT  ACT  i 

STARKWEATHER 
He  is  uncouth — ignorant. 

MARGARET 

I  happen  to  know  that  he  is  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Oregon. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Sneeringly.) 

A  cow  college.  But  that  is  not  what  I  mean. 
He  is  a  demagogue,  stirring  up  the  wild-beast 
passions  of  the  people. 

MARGARET 

Surely  you  would  not  call  his  advocacy  of  that 
child  labor  bill  and  of  the  conservation  of  the 
forest  and  coal  lands  stirring  up  the  wild-beast 
passions  of  the  people  ? 

STARKWEATHER 

(  Wearily. ) 

You  don't  understand.  When  I  say  he  is  dan 
gerous  it  is  because  he  threatens  all  the  stabili 
ties,  because  he  threatens  us  who  have  made 
this  country  and  upon  whom  this  country  and 
its  prosperity  rest. 


ACT  I  THEFT  29 

( CONNIE,  scenting  trouble,  walks  across 
stage  away  from  them.) 

MARGARET 

The  captains  of  industry — the  banking  mag 
nates  and  the  mergers  ? 

STARKWEATHER 

Call  it  so.  Call  it  what  you  will.  Without 
us  the  country  falls  into  the  hands  of  scoundrels 
like  that  man  Knox  and  smashes  to  ruin. 

MARGARET 

(Reprovingly.) 
Not  a  scoundrel,  father. 

STARKWEATHER 

He  is  a  sentimental  dreamer,  a  hair-brained  en 
thusiast.  It  is  the  foolish  utterances  of  men  like 
him  that  place  the  bomb  and  the  knife  in  the  hand 
of'  the  assassin. 

MARGARET 

He  is  at  least  a  good  man,  even  if  he  does 
disagree  with  you  on  political  and  industrial 
problems.  And  heaven  knows  that  good  men 
are  rare  enough  these  days. 


30  THEFT  ACT  i 

STARKWEATHER 

I  impugn  neither  his  morality  nor  his  motives 
— only  his  rationality.  Really,  Margaret,  there 
is  nothing  inherently  vicious  about  him.  I  grant 
that.  And  it  is  precisely  that  which  makes  him 
such  a  power  for  evil. 

MARGARET 

When  I  think  of  all  the  misery  and  pain  which 
he  is  trying  to  remedy — I  can  see  in  him  only  a 
power  for  good.  He  is  not  working  for  himself 
but  for  the  many.  That  is  why  he  has  no 
money.  You  have  heaven  alone  knows  how 
many  millions — you  don't;  you  have  worked  for 
yourself. 

STARKWEATHER 

I,  too,  work  for  the  many.  I  give  work  to  the 
many.  I  make  life  possible  for  the  many.  I  am 
only  too  keenly  alive  to  the  responsibilities  of 
my  stewardship  of  wealth. 

MARGARET 

But  what  of  the  child  laborers  working  at 
the  machines?  Is  that  necessary,  O  steward  of 
wealth  ?  How  my  heart  has  ached  for  them ! 
How  I  have  longed  to  do  something  for  them — 


ACT   I 


THEFT  31 


to  change  conditions  so  that  it  will  no  longer  be 
necessary  for  the  children  to  toil,  to  have  the 
playtime  of  childhood  stolen  away  from  them. 
Theft — that  is  what  it  is,  the  playtime  of  the 
children  coined  into  profits.  That  is  why  I  like 
Howard  Knox.  He  calls  theft  theft.  He  is 
trying  to  do  something  for  those  children.  What 
are  you  trying  to  do  for  them? 

STARKWEATHER 

Sentiment.  Sentiment.  The  question  is  too 
vast  and  complicated,  and  you  cannot  under 
stand.  No  woman  can  understand.  That  is 
why  you  run  to  sentiment.  That  is  what  is  the 
matter  with  this  Knox — sentiment.  You  can't 
run  a  government  of  ninety  millions  of  people  on 
sentiment,  nor  on  abstract  ideas  of  justice  and 
right. 

MARGARET 

But  if  you  eliminate  justice  and  right,  what  re 
mains  ? 

STARKWEATHER 

This  is  a  practical  world,  and  it  must  be  man 
aged  by  practical  men — by  thinkers,  not  by 
near-thinkers  whose  heads  are  addled  with  the 
half-digested  ideas  of  the  French  Encyclo- 


32  THEFT  ACT  i 

pedists  and  Revolutionists  of  a  century  and  a 
half  ago. 

(MARGARET  shows  signs  of  impatience — 
she  is  not  particularly  perturbed  by 
this  passage-at-arms  with  her  father, 
and  is  anxious  to  get  off  her  street 
things. ) 

Don't  forget,  my  daughter,  that  your  father 
knows  the  books  as  well  as  any  cow  college 
graduate  from  Oregon.  I,  too,  in  my  student 
days,  dabbled  in  theories  of  universal  happiness 
and  righteousness,  saw  my  vision  and  dreamed 
my  dream.  I  did  not  know  then  the  weakness, 
and  frailty,  and  grossness  of  the  human  clay. 
But  I  grew  out  of  that  and  into  a  man.  Some 
men  never  grow  out  of  that  stage.  That  is  what 
is  the  trouble  with  Knox.  He  is  still  a  dreamer, 
and  a  dangerous  one. 

(He  pauses  a  moment,  and  then  his  thin 

lips  shut  grimly.) 
But  he  has  just  about  shot  his  bolt. 

MARGARET 
What  do  you  mean? 

STARKWEATHER 
He  has  let  himself  in  to  give  a  speech  to-mor- 


ACT  I  THEFT  33 

row,  wherein  he  will  be  called  upon  to  deliver 
the  proofs  of  all  the  lurid  charges  he  has  made 
against  the  Administration — against  us,  the  stew 
ards  of  wealth  if  you  please.  He  will  be  unable 
to  deliver  the  proofs,  and  the  nation  will  laugh. 
And  that  will  be  the  political  end  of  Mr.  AH 
Baba  and  his  dream. 

MARGARET 

It  is  a  beautiful  dream.  Were  there  more  like 
him  the  dream  would  come  true.  After  all,  it 
is  the  dreamers  that  build  and  that  never  die. 
Perhaps  you  will  find  that  he  is  not  so  easily  to 
be  destroyed.  But  I  can't  stay  and  argue  with 
you,  father.  I  simply  must  go  and  get  my  things 
off. 

(To  CONNIE.) 

You'll  have  to  receive,  dear.  I'll  be  right 
back. 

(JULIUS  RUTLAND  enters.     MARGARET  ad- 
vances  to  meet  him,  shaking  his  hand.) 
You  must  forgive  me  for  deserting  for  a  mo 
ment. 

RUTLAND 

(Greeting  the  others.) 
A  family  council,  I  see. 
3 


34  THEFT  ACT  i 

MARGARET 

(On  way  to  exit  at  rear.) 
No;  a  discussion  on  dreams  and  dreamers.     I 
leave  you  to  bear  my  part. 

RUTLAND 
(Bowing.) 

With  pleasure.  The  dreamers  are  the  true 
architects.  But — a — what  is  the  dream  and  who 
is  the  dreamer? 

MARGARET 

(Pausing  in  the  doorway.) 
The  dream  of  social  justice,  of  fair  play  and 
a  square  deal  to  everybody.     The  dreamer — Mr. 
Knox. 

(RUTLAND  is  so  patently  irritated,  that 
MARGARET  lingers  in  the  doorway  to 
enjoy. ) 

RUTLAND 

That  man!  He  has  insulted  and  reviled  the 
Church — my  calling.  He— 

CONNIE 

(Interrupting.) 

He   said   the   churchmen   stole   from   God.     I 


ACT  i  THEFT  35 

remember  he  once  said  there  had  been  only  one 
true  Christian  and  that  He  died  on  the  Cross. 

MARGARET 
He  quoted  that  from  Nietzsche. 

STARKWEATHER 

(To  RUTLAND,  in  quiet  glee.) 
He  had  you  there. 

RUTLAND 

(In  composed  fury.) 

Nietzsche  is  a  blasphemer,  sir.  Any  man  who 
reads  Nietzsche  or  quotes  Nietzsche  is  a  blas 
phemer.  It  augurs  ill  for  the  future  of  America 
when  such  pernicious  literature  has  the  vogue  it 
has. 

MARGARET 

(Interrupting,  laughing.) 

I  leave  the  quarrel  in  your  hands,  sir  knight. 
Remember — the  dreamer  and  the  dream. 
(MARGARET  makes  exit.) 

RUTLAND 

(Shaking  his  head.) 
I  cannot  understand  what  is  coming  over  the 


36  THEFT 


ACT   I 


present  generation.  Take  your  daughter,  for  in 
stance.  Ten  years  ago  she  was  an  earnest,  sin 
cere  lieutenant  of  mine  in  all  our  little  charities. 

STARKWEATHER 
Has  she  given  charity  up? 

CONNIE 
It's  settlement  work,  now,  and  kindergartens. 

RUTLAND 

(Ominously.) 

It's  writers  like  Nietzsche,  and  men  who  read 
him,  like  Knox,  who  are  responsible. 

(SENATOR  DOWSETT  and  MRS.  DOWSETT 
enter  from  rear.) 

(CONNIE  advances  to  greet  them.  RUT 
LAND  knows  MRS.  DOWSETT,  and  CON 
NIE  introduces  him  to  SENATOR  DOW 
SETT.) 

(In  the  meantime,  not  bothering  to  greet 
anybody,  evincing  his  own  will  and 
way,  STARKWEATHER  goes  across  to 
right  front,  selects  one  of  several  chairs, 
seats  himself,  pulls  a  thin  note-book 
from  inside  coat  pocket,  and  proceeds 


ACT  i  THEFT 


37 


to    immerse    himself    in    contents    of 
same.) 

(DOWSETT  and  RUTLAND  pair  and  stroll 
to  left  rear  and  seat  themselves,  while 
CONNIE  and  MRS.  DOWSETT  seat  them 
selves  at  tea-table  to  left  front.  CON 
NIE  rings  the  bell  for  SERVANT.  "* 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

(Glancing  significantly  at  STARK 
WEATHER,  and  speaking  in  a  low 
voice. ) 

That's  your  father,  isn't  it  ?  I  have  so  wanted 
to  meet  him. 

CONNIE 
(Softly.) 

You  know  he's  peculiar.  He  is  liable  to  ig 
nore  everybody  here  this  afternoon,  and  get  up 
and  go  away  abruptly,  without  saying  good-bye. 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

(Sympathetically.) 

Yes,  I  know,  a  man  of  such  large  affairs.  He 
must  have  so  much  on  his  mind.  He  is  a  won 
derful  man — my  husband  says  the  greatest  in 
contemporary  history — more  powerful  than  a 


38  THEFT 


ACT    I 


dozen  presidents,  the  King  of  England,  and  the 
Kaiser,  all  rolled  into  one. 

(SERVANT  enters  with  tea  urn  and  acces 
sories,  and  CONNIE  proceeds  to  serve 
tea,  all  accompanied  by  appropriate  pat 
ter — "Two  lumps?"  "One,  please." 
"Lemon"  etc.) 

(RUTLAND  and  DOWSETT  come  forward 
to  table  for  their  tea,  where  they  re 
main.  ) 

(CONNIE,  glancing  apprehensively  across 
at  her  father  and  debating  a  moment, 
prepares  a  cup  for  him  and  a  small 
plate  with  crackers,  and  hands  them  to 
DOWSETT,  who  likewise  betrays  appre- 
hensiveness. ) 

CONNIE 

Take  it  to  father,  please,  senator. 

(NOTE: — Throughout  the  rest  of  this  act, 
STARKWEATHER  is  like  a  being  apart,  a 
king  sitting  on  his  throne.  He  divides 
the  tea  function  ivith  MARGARET.  Men 
come  up  to  him  and  speak  with  him. 
He  sends  for  men.  They  come  and  go 
at  his  bidding.  The  whole  attitude, 
perhaps  unconsciously  on  his  part,  is 


ACT  i  THEFT  39 

that  wherever  he  may  be  he  is  master. 
This  attitude  is  accepted  by  all  the 
others;  forsooth,  he  is  indeed  a  great 
man  and  master.  The  only  one  who  is 
not  really  afraid  of  him  is  MARGARET; 
yet  she  gives  in  to  him  in  so  far  as 
she  lets  him  do  as  he  pleases  at  her  af 
ternoon  tea.) 

(DOWSETT  carries  the  cup  of  tea  and  small 
plate  across  stage  to  STARKWEATHER. 
STARKWEATHER  does  not  notice  him  at 
first.) 

CONNIE 

(Who  has  been  watching.) 
Tea,  father,  won't  you  have  a  cup  of  tea? 

(Through  the  following  scene  between 
STARKWEATHER  and  DOWSETT,  the  lat 
ter  holds  cup  of  tea  and  crackers,  help 
lessly,  at  a  disadvantage.  At  the  same 
time  RUTLAND  is  served  with  tea  and 
remains  at  the  table,  talking  with  the 
two  women.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Looking  first  at  CONNIE,  then  peering 
into  cup  of  tea.  He  grunts  refusal,  and 
for  the  first  time  looks  up  into  the 


40  THEFT  ACT  i 

other    man's    face.       He    immediately 
closes  note-book  down  on  finger  to  keep 
the  place.) 
Oh,  it's  you. 

DOWSETT 

(Painfully  endeavoring  to  be  at  ease.) 
A  pleasure,  Mr.  Starkweather,  an  entirely  un 
expected  pleasure  to  meet  you  here.     I  was  not 
aware  you  frequented  frivolous  gatherings  of  this 
nature. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Abruptly  and  peremptorily.) 
Why  didn't  you  come  when  you  were  sent  for 
this  morning? 

DOWSETT 

I  was  sick — I  was  in  bed. 

STARKWEATHER 

That  is  no  excuse,  sir.  When  you  are  sent 
for  you  are  to  come.  Understand?  That  bill 
was  reported  back.  Why  was  it  reported  back? 
You  told  Dobleman  you  would  attend  to  it. 

DOWSETT 
It  was  a  slip  up.     Such  things  will  happen. 


ACT  I 


THEFT  41 


STARKWEATHER 

What  was  the  matter  with  that  committee? 
Have  you  no  influence  with  the  Senate  crowd? 
If  not/say  so,  and  I'll  get  some  one  who  has. 

DOW  SETT 

(Angrily.) 

I  refuse  to  be  treated  in  this  manner,  Mr. 
Starkweather.  I  have  some  self-respect— 

(STARKWEATHER  grunts  incredulously.) 
Some  decency — 

(STARKWEATHER  grunts.) 
A  position  of  prominence  in  my  state.     You 
forget,  sir,  that  in  our  state  organization  I  oc 
cupy  no  mean  place. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Cutting  him  off  so  sharply  that  DOW- 
SETT  drops  cup  and  saucer.) 
Don't  you  show  your  teeth  to  me.     I  can  make 
you  or  break  you.     That  state  organization  of 
yours  belongs  to  me. 

(DOWSETT   starts— he   is   learning  some 
thing  new.     To  hide   his  feelings,   he 
stoops  to  pick  up  cup  and  saucer.) 
Let  it  alone!     I  am  talking  to  you. 


42  THEFT  ACT  i 

(DOWSETT  straightens  up  to  attention  with 

alacrity. ) 
(CONNIE,     who     has     witnessed,     rings 

for  SERVANT.) 

I  bought  that  state  organization,  and  paid 
for  it.  You  are  one  of  the  chattels  that  came 
along  with  the  machine.  You  were  made  sen 
ator  to  obey  my  orders.  Understand?  Do  you 
understand  ? 

DOWSETT 
(Beaten.} 
I — I  understand. 

STARKWEATHER 
That  bill  is  to  be  killed. 

DOWSETT 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Quietly,  no  headlines  about  it. 

(DOWSETT  nods.) 
Now  you  can  go. 

(DOWSETT  proceeds  rather  limply  across 
to  join  group  at  tea-table.) 
(CHALMERS  and  HUBBARD  enter  from 
right,    laughing   about   something.     At 


ACT  I  .THEFT  43 

sight    of    STARKWEATHER    they   imme 
diately  become  sober.) 
(No  hands  are  shaken.     STARKWEATHER 
barely  acknowledges  HUBBARD'S  greet 
ing.) 

STARKWEATHER 
Tom,  I  want  to  see  you. 

(HUBBARD  takes  his  cue,  and  proceeds 
across  to  tea-table.) 

(Enter  SERVANT.  CONNIE  directs  him  to 
remove  broken  cup  and  saucer.  While 
this  is  being  done,  STARKWEATHER 
remains  silent.  He  consults  note-book, 
and  CHALMERS  stands,  not  quite  at  ease, 
waiting  the  other's  will.  At  the  same 
time,  patter  at  tea-table.  HUBBARD, 
greeting  others  and  accepting  or  de 
clining  cup  of  tea.) 

(SERVANT  makes  exit). 

STARKWEATHER 

(Closing    finger    on    book    and    looking 

sharply  at  CHALMERS.) 

Tom,  this  affair  of  yours  in  New  York  must 
come  to  an  end.     Understand  ? 


44  THEFT  ACT  i 

CHALMERS 

(Starting.) 
Hubbard  has  been  talking. 

STARKWEATHER 

No,  it  is  not  Hubbard.  I  have  the  reports 
from  other  sources. 

CHALMERS 
It  is  a  harmless  affair. 

STARKWEATHER 

I  happen  to  know  better.  I  have  the  whole 
record.  If  you  wish,  I  can  give  you  every 
detail,  every  meeting.  I  know.  There  is  no 
discussion  whatever.  I  want  no  more  of  it. 

CHALMERS 

I  never  dreamed  for  a  moment  that  I  was — 
er — indiscreet. 

STARKWEATHER 

Never  forget  that  every  indiscretion  of  a  man 
in  your  position  is  indiscreet.  We  have  a  duty, 
a  great  and  solemn  duty  to  perform.  Upon  our 
shoulders  rest  the  destinies  of  ninety  million 


ACT  i  THEFT  45 

people.  If  we  fail  in  our  duty,  they  go  down  to 
destruction.  Ignorant  demagogues  are  working 
on  the  beast-passions  of  the  people.  If  they  have 
their  way,  they  are  lost,  the  country  is  lost,  civ 
ilization  is  lost.  We  want  no  more  Dark  Ages. 

CHALMERS 

Really,  I  never  thought  it  was  as  serious  as 
all  that. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Shrugging    shoulders    and    lifting    eye 
brows.) 

After  all,  why  should  you?  You  are  only  a 
cog  in  the  machine.  I,  and  the  several  men 
grouped  with  me,  am  the  machine.  You  are  a 
useful  cog — too  useful  to  lose — 

CHALMERS 
Lose?— Me? 

STARKWEATHER 

I  have  but  to  raise  my  hand,  any  time — do 
you  understand? — any  time,  and  you  are  lost. 
You  control  your  state.  Very  well.  But  never 
forget  that  to-morrow,  if  I  wished,  I  could  buy 
your  whole  machine  out  from  under  you.  I 
know  you  cannot  change  yourself,  but,  for  the 


46  THEFT  ACT  i 

sake  of  the  big  issues  at  stake,  you  must  be  care 
ful,  exceedingly  careful.  We  are  compelled  to 
work  with  weak  tools.  You  are  a  good  liver,  a 
flesh-pot  man.  You  drink  too  much.  Your 
heart  is  weak.  —Oh,  I  have  the  report  of  your 
doctor.  Nevertheless,  don't  make  a  fool  of  your 
self,  nor  of  us.  Besides,  do  not  forget  that  your 
wife  is  my  daughter.  She  is  a  strong  woman,  a 
credit  to  both  of  us.  Be  careful  that  you  are  not 
a  discredit  to  her. 

CHALMERS 

All  right,  I'll  be  careful.  But  while  we  are 
— er — on  this  subject,  there's  something  I'd  like 
to  speak  to  you  about. 

(A  pause,  in  which  STARKWEATHER  waits 

non-committally.) 

It's  this  man  Knox,  and  Madge.  He  comes 
to  the  house.  They  are  as  thick  as  thieves. 

STARKWEATHER 
Yes? 

CHALMERS 

(Hastily.) 

Oh,  not  a  breath  of  suspicion  or  anything  of 
that  sort,  I  assure  you.  But  it  doesn't  strike 


ACT  I 


THEFT  47 


me  as  exactly  appropriate  that  your  daughter 
and  my  wife  should  be  friendly  with  this  fire- 
eating  anarchist  who  is  always  attacking  us  and 
all  that  we  represent. 

STARKWEATHER 

I  started  to  speak  with  her  on  that  subject, 
but  was  interrupted. 

(Puckers  brow  and  thinks.} 
You  are  her  husband.     Why  don't  you  take 
her  in  hand  yourself? 

(Enters  MRS.  STARKWEATHER  from  rear, 
looking  about,  bowing,  then  locating 
STARKWEATHER  and  proceeding  toward 
him. ) 

CHALMERS 

What  can  I  do?  She  has  a  will  of  her  own— 
the  same  sort  of  a  will  that  you  have.  Besides, 
I  think  she  knows  about  my — about  some  of  my 
—indiscretions. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Slyly.) 

Harmless  indiscretions  ? 

(CHALMERS  is  about  to  reply,  but  observes 
MRS.  STARKWEATHER  approaching.) 


48  THEFT  ACT  i 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Speaks  in  a  peevish,  complaining  voice, 
and  during  her  harrangue  STARK 
WEATHER  immerses  himself  in  note 
book.) 

Oh,  there  you  are,  Anthony.  Talking  politics, 
I  suppose.  Well,  as  soon  as  I  get  a  cup  of  tea 
we  must  go.  Tommy  is  not  looking  as  well 
as  I  could  wish.  Margaret  loves  him,  but  she 
does  not  take  the  right  care  of  him.  I  don't 
know  what  the  world  is  coming  to  when  mothers 
do  not  know  how  to  rear  their  offspring.  There 
is  Margaret,  with  her  slum  kindergartens,  tak 
ing  care  of  everybody  else's  children  but  her  own. 
If  she  only  performed  her  church  duties  as 
eagerly !  Mr.  Rutland  is  displeased  with  her.  I 
shall  give  her  a  talking  to — only,  you'd  bet 
ter  do  it,  Anthony.  Somehow,  I  have  never 
counted  much  with  Margaret.  She  is  as  set  in 
doing  what  she  pleases  as  you  are.  In  my  time 
children  paid  respect  to  their  parents.  This  is 
what  comes  of  speed.  There  is  no  time  for  any 
thing.  And  now  I  must  get  my  tea  and  run. 
Connie  has  to  dress  for  that  dinner. 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER  crosses  to  table, 
greets  others  characteristically  and  is 
served  with  tea  by  CONNIE.) 


ACT  i  THEFT  49 

(CHALMERS  waits  respectfully  on  STARK 
WEATHER.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Looking  up  from  note-book.) 
That  will  do,  Tom. 

(CHALMERS  is  just  starting  across  to  join 
others,  when  voices  are  heard  outside 
rear  entrance,  and  MARGARET  enters 
with  DOLORES  ORTEGA,  wife  of  the  Pe 
ruvian  Minister,  and  MATSU  SAKARI, 
Secretary  of  Japanese  Legation — both 
of  whom  she  has  met  as  they  were  en 
tering  the  house.) 

(CHALMERS  changes  his  course,  and  meets 
the  above  advancing  group.  He  knows 
DOLORES  ORTEGA,  whom  he  greets,  and 
is  introduced  to  SAKARI.) 

(MARGARET  passes  on  among  guests, 
greeting  them,  etc.  Then  she  displaces 
CONNIE  at  tea-table  and  proceeds  to 
dispense  tea  to  the  newcomers.) 

(^Groups  slowly  form  and  seat  themselves 
about  stage  as  follows :  CHALMERS  and 
DOLORES  ORTEGA;  RUTLAND,  DOWSETT, 
MRS.  STARKWEATHER;  CONNIE,  MR. 
DOWSETT,  and  HUBBARD.) 
4 


50  THEFT  ACT  i 

(CHALMERS  carries  tea  to  DOLORES  OR 
TEGA.  ) 

(SAKARI  has  been  lingering  by  table,  wait 
ing  for  tea  and  pattering  with  MAR 
GARET,  CHALMERS,  etc.) 

MARGARET 

(Handing   cup    to   SAKARI.) 
I  am  very  timid  in  offering  you  this,  for  I  am 
sure   you    must   be    appalled   by    our   barbarous 
methods  of  making  tea. 

SAKARI 

(Bowing.) 

It  is  true,  your  American  tea,  and  the  tea  of 
the  English,  are  quite  radically  different  from  the 
tea  in  my  country.  But  one  learns,  you  know. 
I  served  my  apprenticeship  to  American  tea  long 
years  ago,  when  I  was  at  Yale.  It, was  perplex 
ing,  I  assure  you — at  first,  only  at  first. 
I  really  believe  that  I  am  beginning  to  have  a — 
how  shall  I  call  it? — a  tolerance  for  tea  in  your 
fashion. 

MARGARET 

You  are  very  kind  in  overlooking  our  short 
comings. 


ACT  i  THEFT  51 

SAKARI 

(Bowing.) 

On  the  contrary,  I  am  unaware,  always  un 
aware,  of  any  shortcomings  of  this  marvelous 
country  of  yours. 

MARGARET 

(Laughing.) 

You  are  incorrigibly  gracious,  Mr.   Sakari. 
(KNOX  appears  at  threshold  of  rear  en 
trance  and  pauses  irresolutely  for  a  mo 
ment) 

SAKARI 

(Noticing  KNOX,  and  looking  about  him 

to  select  which  group  he  will  join.) 

If  I  may  be  allowed,  I  shall  now  retire  and 
consume  this — tea. 

(Joins  group  composed  of  CONNIE,  MRS. 
DOWSETT,  and  HUBBARD.) 

(KNOX  comes  forward  to  MARGARET,  be 
traying  a  certain  awkwardness  due  to 
lack  of  experience  in  such  social  func 
tions.  He  greets  MARGARET  and  those 
in  the  group  nearest  her.} 


52  THEFT  ACT  i 

KNOX 

(To  MARGARET.) 

I  don't  know  why  I  come  here.  I  do  not  be 
long.  All  the  ways  are  strange. 

MARGARET 

(Lightly,  at  the  same  time  preparing  his 

tea.) 

The  same  Ali  Baba — once  again  in  the  den  of 
the  forty  thieves.  But  your  watch  and  pocket- 
book  are  safe  here,  really  they  are. 

(KNOX  makes  a  gesture  of  dissent  at  her 

facetiousness.) 

Now  don't  be  serious.  You  should  relax 
sometimes.  You  live  too  tensely. 

(Looking  at  STARKWEATHER.) 
There's  the  arch-anarch  over  there,  the  dragon 
you  are  trying  to  slay. 

(KNOX  looks  at  STARKWEATHER  and  is 

plainly  perplexed.) 

The  man  who  handles  all  the  life  insurance 
funds,  who  controls  more  strings  of  banks  and 
trust  companies  than  all  the  Rothschilds  a  hun 
dred  times  over — the  merger  of  iron  and  steel 
and  coal  and  shipping  and  all  the  other  things— 
the  man  who  blocks  your  child  labor  bill 


ACT  I  THEFT  53 

and    all    the    rest    of    the    remedial    legislation 
you  advocate.     In  short,  my  father. 

KNOX 

(Looking  intently  at   STARKWEATHER.) 
I  should  have  recognized  him  from  his  photo 
graphs.     But  why  do  you  say  such  things? 

MARGARET 

Because  they  are  true. 

(He  remains  silent.) 
Now,  aren't  they? 
(She  laughs.) 

Oh,  you  don't  need  to  answer.  You  know 
the  truth,  the  whole  bitter  truth.  This  is 
a  den  of  thieves.  There  is  Mr.  Hubbard  over 
there,  for  instance,  the  trusty  journalist  lieuten 
ant  of  the  corporations. 

KNOX 

(With  an  expression  of  disgust.) 
I  know  him.  It  was  he  that  wrote  the  Stand 
ard  Oil  side  of  the  story,  after  having  abused 
Standard  Oil  for  years  in  the  pseudo-muck-rak 
ing  magazines.  He  made  them  come  up  to  his 
price,  that  was  all.  He's  the  star  writer  on 
Cartwright's,  now,  since  that  magazine  changed 


54  THEFT  ACT  i 

its  policy  and  became  subsidizedly  reactionary. 
I  know  him — a  thoroughly  dishonest  man. 
Truly  am  I  AH  Baba,  and  truly  I  wonder  why  I 
am  here. 

MARGARET 

You  are  here,  sir,  because  I  like  you  to  come. 

KNOX 
We  do  have  much  in  common,  you  and  I. 

MARGARET 
The  future. 

KNOX 

(Gravely,    looking   at    her   with    fhining 

eyes.) 

I  sometimes  fear  for  more  immediate  reasons 
than  that. 

(MARGARET  looks  at  him  in  alarm,  and  at 
the  same  time  betrays  pleasure  in  what 
he  has  said.) 
For  you. 

MARGARET 
(Hastily.) 

Don't  look  at  me  that  way.  Your  eyes  are 
flashing.  Some  one  might  see  and  misunder 
stand. 


ACT  i  THEFT  55 

KNOX 

(In  confusion,  awkwardly.) 
I  was  unaware  that  I— that  I  was  looking  at 
you in  any  way  that 

MARGARET 

I'll  tell  you   why  you   are  here.     Because   I 
sent  for  you. 

KNOX 

(With  signs  of  ardor.) 

I  would  come  whenever  you  sent  for  me,  and 
go  wherever  you  might  send  me. 

MARGARET 

(Reprovingly.) 

Please,  please It  was  about  that  speech. 

I  have  been  hearing  about  it  from  everybody— 
rumblings  and  mutterings  and  dire  prophecies. 
I  know  how  busy  you  are,  and  I  ought  not  to 
have  asked  you  to  come.  But  there  was  no 
other  way,  and  I  was  so  anxious. 

KNOX 
(Pleased.) 

It  seems  so  strange  that  you,  being  what  you 
are,  affiliated  as  you  are,  should  be  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  the  common  people. 


56  THEFT  ACT  i 

MARGARET 

(Judicially.) 

I  do  seem  like  a  traitor  in  my  own  camp.  But 
as  father  said  a  while  ago,  I,  too,  have  dreamed 
my  dream.  I  did  it  as  a  girl — Plato's  Republic, 
Moore's  Utopia — I  was  steeped  in  all  the  dreams 
of  the  social  dreamers. 

(During  all  that  follows  of  her  speech, 
KNOX  is  keenly  interested,  his  eyes 
glisten  and  he  hangs  on  her  words.) 

And  I  dreamed  that  I,  too,  might  do  something 
to  bring  on  the  era  of  universal  justice  and  fair 
play.  In  my  heart  I  dedicated  myself  to  the 
cause  of  humanity.  I  made  Lincoln  my  hero — 
he  still  is.  But  I  was  only  a  girl,  and  where  was 
I  to  find  this  cause? — how  to  work  for  it?  I 
was  shut  in  by  a  thousand  restrictions,  hedged 
in  by  a  thousand  conventions.  Everybody 
laughed  at  me  when  I  expressed  the  thoughts 
that  burned  in  me.  What  could  I  do?  I  was 
only  a  woman.  I  had  neither  vote  nor  right  of 
utterance.  I  must  remain  silent.  I  must  do 
nothing.  Men,  in  their  lordly  wisdom,  did  all. 
They  voted,  orated,  governed.  The  place  for 
women  was  in  the  home,  taking  care  of  some 
lordly  man  who  did  all  these  lordly  things. 


ACT  I  THEFT  57 

KNOX 

You   understand,  then,   why  I  am  for   equal 
suffrage. 

MARGARET 

But  I  learned— or  thought  I  learned.     Power, 
I  discovered  early.     My  father  had  power.     He 
was   a  magnate — I   believe   that   is   the    correct 
phrase.     Power  was  what  I  needed.     But  how? 
I  was  a  woman.     Again  I  dreamed  my  dream— 
a  modified  dream.     Only  by  marriage  could  I  win 
to  power.     And  there  you  have  the  clew  to  me  and 
what  I  am  and  have  become.     I  met  the  man  who 
was  to  become  my  husband.     He  was  clean  and 
strong  and  an  athlete,  an  outdoor  man,  a  wealthy 
man    and   a    rising   politician.     Father   told    me 
that  if  I  married  him  he  would  make  him  the 
power  of  his  state,  make  him  governor,  send  him 
to   the  United   States   Senate.     And  there  you 
have  it  all. 

KNOX 

Yes? Yes? 

MARGARET 

I  married.     I  found  that  there  were  greater 
forces   at   work  than    I   had   ever   dreamed    of. 


58  THEFT 


ACT   I 


They  took  my  husband  away  from  me  and 
molded  him  into  the  political  lieutenant  of  my 
father.  And  I  was  without  power.  I  could  do 
nothing  for  the  cause.  I  was  beaten.  Then  it 
was  that  I  got  a  new  vision.  The  future  be 
longed  to  the  children.  There  I  could  play  my 
woman's  part.  I  was  a  mother.  Very  well.  I 
could  do  no  better  than  to  bring  into  the  world 
a  healthy  son  and  bring  him  up  to  manhood 
healthy  and  wholesome,  clean,  noble,  and  alive. 
Did  I  do  my  part  well,  through  him  the  results 
would  be  achieved.  Through  him  would  the 
work  of  the  world  be  done  in  making  the  world 
healthier  and  happier  for  all  the  human  creatures 
in  it.  I  played  the  mother's  part.  That  is 
why  I  left  the  pitiful  little  charities  of  the  church 
and  devoted  myself  to  settlement  work  and  ten 
ement  house  reform,  established  my  kindergar 
tens,  and  worked  for  the  little  men  and  women 
who  come  so  blindly  and  to  whom  the  future  be 
longs  to  make  or  mar. 

KNOX 

You   are  magnificent.     I   know,   now,  why   I 
come  when  you  bid  me  come. 

MARGARET 
And  then  you  came.     You  were  magnificent. 


ACT  i  THEFT  59 

You  were  my  knight  of  the  windmills,  tilting 
against  all  power  and  privilege,  striving  to  wrest 
the  future  from  the  future  and  realize  it  here  in 
the  present,  now.  I  was  sure  you  would  be  des 
troyed.  Yet  you  are  still  here  and  righting  val 
iantly.  And  that  speech  of  yours  to-morrow— 

CHALMERS 
(Who  has  approached,   bearing  DOLORES 

ORTEGA'S  cup.} 
Yes,  that  speech.     How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Knox. 

(They  shake  hands.) 

A    cup    of    tea,    Madge.     For    Mrs.    Ortega. 
Two  lumps,  please. 

(MARGARET  prepares   the   cup   of  tea.) 
Everybody  is  excited  over  that  speech.     You 
are  going  to  give  us  particular  fits,  to-morrow,  I 
understand. 

.  KNOX 
(Smiling.) 
Really,  no  more  than  is  deserved. 

CHALMERS 

The  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but 
the  truth? 

KNOX 
Precisely. 

(Receiving  back  cup  of  tea  from  MAR 
GARET.  ) 


60  THEFT 


ACT   I 


CHALMERS 

Believe  me,  we  are  not  so  black  as  we're 
painted.  There  are  two  sides  to  this  question. 
Like  you,  we  do  our  best  to  do  what  is  right. 
And  we  hope,  we  still  hope,  to  win  you  over  to 
our  side. 

(KNOX    shakes    his    head    with    a    quiet 
smile. ) 

MARGARET 

Oh,  Tom,  be  truthful.  You  don't  hope  any 
thing  of  the  sort.  You  know  you  are  hoping  to 
destroy  him. 

CHALMERS 

(Smiling  grimly.) 

That  is  what  usually  happens  to  those  who  are 
not  won  over. 

(Preparing    to   depart  with   cup    of   tea; 

speaking  to  KNOX.) 

You  might  accomplish  much  good,  were  you 
with  us.  Against  us  you  accomplish  nothing, 
absolutely  nothing. 

(Returns  to  DOLORES  ORTEGA.) 

MARGARET 

(Hurriedly.) 
You  see.     That  is  why  I  was  anxious — why  I 


ACT  I  THEFT  6l 

sent  for  you.  Even  Tom  admits  that  they  who 
are  not  won  over  are  destroyed.  This  speech  is 
a  crucial  event.  You  know  how  rigidly  they 
rule  the  House  and  gag  men  like  you.  It  is  they, 
and  they  alone,  who  have  given  you  opportunity 
for  this  speech?  Why? — Why? 

KNOX 

( Smiling  confidently. ) 

I  know  their  little  scheme.  They  have  heard 
my  charges.  They  think  I  am  going  to  make  a 
firebrand  speech,  and  they  are  ready  to  catch  me 
without  the  proofs.  They  are  ready  in  every 
way  for  me.  They  are  going  to  laugh  me  down. 
The  Associated  Press,  the  Washington  corres 
pondents — all  are  ready  to  manufacture,  in 
every  newspaper  in  the  land,  the  great  laugh 
that  will  destroy  me.  But  I  am  fully  prepared, 
I  have — • 

MARGARET 
The  proofs? 

KNOX 
Yes. 

MARGARET 
Now? 

KNOX 
They  will  be  delivered  to  me  to-night — original 


62  THEFT 


ACT  I 


documents,  photographs  of  documents,   affidav 
its— 

MARGARET 

Tell  me  nothing.     But  oh,  do  be  careful !     Be 
careful ! 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

(Appealing  to   MARGARET.) 
Do  give  me  some  assistance,  Mrs.  Chalmers. 

(Indicating  SAKARI.) 
Mr.  Sakari  is  trying  to  make  me  ridiculous. 

MARGARET 
Impossible. 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

But  he  is.     He  has  had  the  effrontery— 

CHALMERS 

(Mimicking  MRS.  DOWSETT.) 
Effrontery  !— O,  Sakari ! 

SAKARI 
The  dear  lady  is  pleased  to  be  facetious. 

MRS.  DOWSETT 
He  has  had  the  effrontery  to  ask  me  to  ex- 


ACT  I 


THEFT  63 


plain  the  cause  of  high  prices.  Mr.  Dowsett 
says  the  reason  is  that  the  people  are  living  so 
high. 

SAKARI 

Such  a  marvelous  country.  They  are  poor 
because  they  have  so  much  to  spend. 

CHALMERS 

Are  not  high  prices  due  to  the  increased  out 
put  oi  gold? 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

Mr.  Sakari  suggested  that  himself,  and  when 
I  agreed  with  him  he  proceeded  to  demolish  it. 
He  has  treated  me  dreadfully. 

RUTLAND 

(Clearing  his  throat  and  expressing  him 
self  with  ponderous  unction.) 
You  will  find  the  solution  in  the  drink  traf 
fic.     It   is   liquor,   alcohol,   that   is   undermining 
our  industry,  our  institutions,  our  faith  in  God— 
everything.       Yearly  the  working  people  drink 
greater  quantities  of  alcohol.     Naturally,  through 
resulting  inefficiency,  the  cost  of  production  is 
higher,  and  therefore  prices  are  higher. 


64  THEFT  ACT  i 

DOWSETT 

Partly  so,  partly  so.  And  in  line  with  it,  and 
in  addition  to  it,  prices  are  high  because  the 
working  class  is  no  longer  thrifty.  If  our  work 
ing  class  saved  as  the  French  peasant  does,  we 
would  sell  more  in  the  world  market  and  have 
better  times. 

SAKARI 
(Bowing.) 

As  I  understand  it  then,  the  more  thrifty  you 
are  the  more  you  save,  and  the  more  you  save 
the  more  you  have  to  sell,  the  more  you  sell,  the 
better  the  times  ? 

DOWSETT 
Exactly  so.     Exactly. 

SAKARI 
The  less  you  sell,  the  harder  are  the  times? 

DOWSETT 
Just  so. 

SAKARI 

Then  if  the  people  are  thrifty,  and  buy  less, 
times  will  be  harder? 


ACT  i  THEFT  65 

DOW  SETT 

(Perplexeu.) 
Er — it  would  seem  so. 

SAKARI 

Then  it  would  seem  that  the  present  bad  times 
are  due  to  the  fact  that  the  people  are  thrifty, 
rather  than  not  thrifty? 

(DOWSETT  is  nonplussed,  and  MRS.  DOW- 
SETT  throws  up  her  hands  in  despair.) 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

(Turning  to  KNOX.) 

Perhaps  you  can  explain  to  us,  Mr.  Knox,  the 
reason  for  this  terrible  condition  of  affairs. 

(STARKWEATHER  closes  note-book  on  fin 
ger  and  listens.) 
(KNOX  smiles,  but  does  not  speak.) 

DOLORES  ORTEGA 

Please  do,  Mr.  Knox.  I  am  so  dreadfully 
anxious  to  know  why  living  is  so  high  now. 
Only  this  morning  I  understand  meat  went  up 
again. 

(KNOX  hesitates  and  looks  questioningly 

at  MARGARET.) 
5 


66  THEFT  ACT  i 

HUBBARD 

I  am  sure  Mr.  Knox  can  shed  new  light  on 
this  perplexing  problem. 

CHALMERS 

Surely  you,  the  whirlwind  of  oratorical  swords 
in  the  House,  are  not  timid  here — among  friends. 

KNOX 

(Sparring.) 

I  had  no  idea  that  questions  of  such  nature 
were  topics  of  conversation  at  affairs  like  this. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Abruptly  and  imperatively.) 
What  causes  the  high  prices? 

KNOX 

(Equally  abrupt  and  just  as  positive  as 

the  other  was  imperative.) 
Theft 

(It  is  a  sort  of  a  bombshell  he  has  ex 
ploded,  but  they  receive  it  politely  and 
smilingly,  even  though  it  has  shaken 
them  up.) 


ACT  I  THEFT  67 

DOLORES  ORTEGA 

What  a  romantic  explanation.  I  suppose 
everybody  who  has  anything  has  stolen  it. 

KNOX 

Not  quite,  but  almost  quite.  Take  motor 
cars,  for  example.  This  year  five  hundred  mill 
ion  dollars  has  been  spent  for  motor-cars.  It 
required  men  toiling  in  the  mines  and  foundries, 
women  sewing  their  eyes  out  in  sweat-shops, 
shop  girls  slaving  for  four  and  five  dollars  a 
week,  little  children  working  in  the  factories  and 
cotton-mills — all  these  it  required  to  produce 
those  five  hundred  millions  spent  this  year  in 
motor-cars.  And  all  this  has  been  stolen  from 
those  who  did  the  work. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

I  always  knew  those  motor-cars  were  to  blame 
for  terrible  things. 

DOLORES  ORTEGA 
But  Mr.  Knox,  I  have  a  motor-car. 

KNOX 

Somebody's  labor  made  that  car.  Was  it 
yours  ? 


68  THEFT  ACT  i 

DOLORES  ORTEGA 
Mercy,  no !     I  bought  it and  paid  for  it. 

KNOX 

Then  did  you  labor  at  producing  something 
else,  and  exchange  the  fruits  of  that  labor  for 
the  motor-car? 

(A  pause.) 

You  do  not  answer.  Then  I  am  to  understand 
that  you  have  a  motor-car  which  was  made 
by  somebody  else's  labor  and  for  which  you 
gave  no  labor  of  your  own.  This  I  call  theft. 
You  call  it  property.  Yet  it  is  theft. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Interrupting  DOLORES  ORTEGA  who  was 

just  about  to  speak.) 

But  surely  you  have  intelligence  to  see  the 
question  in  larger  ways  than  stolen  motor-cars. 
I  am  a  man  of  affairs.  I  don't  steal  motor-cars. 

KNOX 

(Smiling.) 

Not  concrete  little  motor-cars,  no.  You  do 
things  on  a  large  scale. 


ACT  I  THEFT  69 

STARKWEATHER 
Steal? 

KNOX 

(Shrugging    his   shoulders.) 
If  you  will  have  it  so. 

STARKWEATHER 

I  am  like  a  certain  gentleman  from  Missouri. 
You've  got  to  show  me. 

KNOX 

And  I'm  like  the  man  from  Texas.  It's  got 
to  be  put  in  my  hand. 

STARKWEATHER 

I  shift  my  residence  at  once  to  Texas.  Put  it 
in  my  hand  that  I  steal  on  a  large  scale. 

KNOX 

Very  well.  You  are  the  great  financier,  mer 
ger,  and  magnate.  Do  you  mind  a  few  statis 
tics? 

STARKWEATHER 
Go  ahead. 

KNOX 

You   exercise   a   controlling   interest    in   nine 


70  THEFT  ACT  i 

billion  dollars'  worth  of  railways;  in  two  billion 
dollars'  worth  of  industrial  concerns ;  in  one  bil 
lion  dollars'  worth  of  life  insurance  groups;  in 
one  billion  dollars'  worth  of  banking  groups ;  in 
two  billion  dollars'  worth  of  trust  companies. 
Mind  you,  I  do  not  say  you  own  all  this,  but 
that  you  exercise  a  controlling  interest.  That 
is  all  that  is  necessary.  In  short,  you  exercise 
a  controlling  interest  in  such  a  proportion  of 
the  total  investments  of  the  United  States,  as 
to  set  the  pace  for  all  the  rest.  Now  to  my 
point.  In  the  last  few  years  seventy  billions 
of  dollars  have  been  artificially  added  to  the 
capitalization  of  the  nation's  industries.  By 
that  I  mean  water — pure,  unadulterated  water. 
You,  the  merger,  know  what  watei  means.  I 
say  seventy  billions.  It  doesn't  matter  if  we 
call  it  forty  billions  or  eighty  billions  ;  the  amount, 
whatever  it  is,  is  a  huge  one.  And  what 
does  seventy  billions  of  water  mean  ?  It  means, 
at  five  per  cent,  that  three  billions  and  a 
half  must  be  paid  for  things  this  year,  and 
every  year,  more  than  things  are  really  worth. 
The  people  who  labor  have  to  pay  this.  There 
is  theft  for  you.  There  is  high  prices  for 
you.  Who  put  in  the  water?  Who  gets  the 
theft  of  the  water?  Have  I  put  it  in  your 
hand? 


OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY 


THEFT  7i 

STARKWEATHER 
Are  there  no  wages  for  stewardship? 

KNOX 
Call  it  any  name  you  please. 

STARKWEATHER 

Do  I  not  make  two  dollars  where  one  was 
before?  Do  I  not  make  for  more  happiness 
than  was  before  I  came? 

KNOX 

Is  that  any  more  than  the  duty  any  man  owes 
to  his  fellowman? 

STARKWEATHER 

Oh,  you  unpractical  dreamer. 
(Returns  to  his  note-book.) 

RUTLAND 

(Throwing  himself  into  the  breach.) 
Where  do  I  steal,  Mr.  Knox?—  I  who  get  a 
mere  salary  for  preaching  the  Lord's  Word. 


72  THEFT  ACT  ! 

KNOX 

Your  salary  comes  out  of  that  water  I  men 
tioned.  Do  you  want  to  know  who  pays  your 
salary?  Not  your  parishioners.  But  the  little 
children  toiling  in  the  mills,  and  all  the  rest- 
all  the  slaves  on  the  wheel  of  labor  pay  you  your 
salary. 

RUTLAND 
I  earn  it. 

KNOX 
They  pay  it. 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

Why,  I  declare,  Mr.  Knox,  you  are  worse  than 
Mr.  Sakari.  You  are  an  anarchist. 

(She  simulates  shivering  with  fear.) 

CHALMERS 

(To  KNOX.; 

I  suppose  that's  part  of  your  speech  to-mor 
row. 

DOLORES  ORTEGA 

(Clapping  her  hands.) 
A  rehearsal !     He's  trying  it  out  on  us ! 

SAKARI 
How  would  you  remedy  this — er — this  theft? 


ACT  i  THEFT  73 

(STARKWEATHER  again  closes  note-book 
on  finger  and  listens  as  KNOX  begins 
to  speak.) 

KNOX 

Very  simply.  By  changing  the  governmental 
machinery  by  which  this  houseshold  of  ninety 
millions  of  people  conducts  its  affairs. 

SAKARI 

I  thought— I  was  taught  so  at  Yale— that  your 
governmental  machinery  was  excellent,  most  ex 
cellent. 

KNOX 

It  is  antiquated.  It  is  ready  for  the  scrap- 
heap.  Instead  of  being  our  servant,  it  has  mas 
tered  us.  We  are  its  slaves.  All  the  political 
brood  of  grafters  and  hypocrites  have  run  away 
with  it,  and  with  us  as  well.  In  short,  from  the 
municipalities  up,  we  are  dominated  by  the 
grafters.  It  is  a  reign  of  theft. 

HUBBARD 

But  any  government  is   representative  of  its 
people.     No  people  is  worthy  of  a  better  gov- 


74  THEFT 


ACT  I 


ernment  than  it  possesses.     Were  it  worthier,  it 
would  possess  a  better  government. 

(STARKWEATHER   nods  his   head  approv 
ingly.) 

KNOX 

That  is  a  lie.  And  I  say  to  you  now  that  the 
average  morality  and  desire  for  right  conduct  of 
the  people  of  the  United  States  is  far  higher 
than  that  of  the  government  which  misrepresents 
it.  The  people  are  essentially  worthy  of  a  better 
government  than  that  which  is  at  present  in  the 
hands  of  the  politicians,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
politicians  and  of  the  interests  the  politicians 
represent.  I  wonder,  Mr.  Sakari,  if  you  have 
ever  heard  the  story  of  the  four  aces. 

SAKARI 
I  cannot  say  that  I  have. 

KNOX 
Do  you  understand  the  game  of  poker  ? 

SAKARI 

(Considering.) 

Yes,  a  marvelous  game.     I  have  learned  it — 
at  Yale.     It  was  very  expensive. 


ACT  i  THEFT  75 

KNOX 

Well,  that  story  reminds  me  of  our  grafting 
politicians.  They  have  no  moral  compunctions. 
They  look  upon  theft  as  right — eminently  right. 
They  see  nothing  wrong  in  the  arrangement 
that  the  man  who  deals  the  cards  should  give 
himself  the  best  in  the  deck.  Never  mind  what 
he  deals  himself,  they'll  have  the  deal  next  and 
make  up  for  it. 

DOLORES  ORTEGA 

But  the  story,  Mr.  Knox.  I,  too,  understand 
poker. 

KNOX 

It  occurred  out  in  Nevada,  in  a  mining  camp. 
A  tenderfoot  was  watching  a  game  of  poker. 
He  stood  behind  the  dealer,  and  he  saw  the 
dealer  deal  himself  four  aces  from  the  bottom 
of  the  deck. 

(From  now  on,  he  tells  the  story  in  the 
slow,  slightly  drawling  Western  fash 
ion.) 

The  tenderfoot  went  around  to  the  player  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  table. 

"Say,"  he  says,  "I  just  seen  the  dealer  give 
himself  four  aces  off  the  bottom." 


76  THEFT 


ACT   I 


The  player  looked  at  him  a  moment,  and  said, 
"What  of  it?" 

"Oh,  nothing,"  said  the  tenderfoot,  "only  I 
thought  you  might  want  to  know.  I  tell  you  I 
seen  the  dealer  give  himself  four  aces  off  the 
bottom." 

"Look  here,  Mister,"  said  the  player,  "you'd 
better  get  out  of  this.  You  don't  understand 
the  game.  It's  HIS  deal,  ain't  it?" 

MARGARET 

(Arising  while   they   are   laughing.) 
We've  talked  politics  long  enough.     Dolores, 
I  want  you  to  tell  me  about  your  new  car. 

KNOX 

(As  if  suddenly  recollecting  himself.) 
And  I  must  be  going. 

(In  a  low  voice  to  MARGARET.) 
Do    I    have    to    shake    hands    with    all    these 
people  ? 

MARGARET 

(Shaking   her   head,  speaking  low.) 
Dear   delightful   Ali   Baba. 

KNOX 
(  Glumly. ) 
I  suppose  I've  made  a  fool  of  myself. 


ACT  i  THEFT  77 

MARGARET 

(Earnestly.) 

On  the  contrary,  you  were  delightful.  I  am 
proud  of  you. 

As  KNOX  shakes  hands  with  MARGARET, 
SAKARI  arises  and  comes  forward). 

SAKARI 

I,  too,  must  go.  I  have  had  a  charming  half 
hour,  Mrs.  Chalmers.  But  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  thank  you. 

(He  shakes  hands  with  MARGARET.) 
(KNOX  and  SAKARI  proceed  to  make  exit 

to  rear.) 
(Just  as  they  go   out,   SERVANT   enters, 

carrying  card-tray ,  and  advances  toward 

STARKWEATHER.  ) 
(MARGARET  joins  DOLORES   ORTEGA  and 

CHALMERS,    seats    herself    with    them, 

and  proceeds  to  talk  motor-cars.) 
(SERVANT  has  reached    STARKWEATHER, 

who  has  taken  a  telegram  from  tray, 

opened  it,  and  is  reading  it.) 

STARKWEATHER 
Damnation ! 


78  THEFT  ACT  i 

SERVANT 
I  beg  your  pardon,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Send  Senator  Chalmers  to  me,  and  Mr.  Hub- 
bard. 

SERVANT 
Yes,  sir. 

(SERVANT  crosses  to  CHALMERS  and 
HUBBARD,  both  of  whom  immediately 
arise  and  cross  to  STARKWEATHER.) 

(While  this  is  being  done,  MARGARET  re 
assembles  the  three  broken  groups  into 
one,  seating  herself  so  that  she  can 
watch  STARKWEATHER  and  his  group 
across  the  stage.) 

(SERVANT  lingers  to  receive  a  command 
from  MARGARET.) 

(CHALMERS  and  HUBBARD  wait  a  moment, 
standing,  while  STARKWEATHER  re 
reads  telegram.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Standing  up.) 

Dobleman   has  just   forwarded  this  telegram. 
It's  from  New  York — from  Martinaw.     There's 


ACT  I  THEFT  79 

been  rottenness.  My  papers  and  letter-files  have 
been  ransacked.  It's  the  confidential  sten 
ographer  who  has  been  tampered  with — you  re 
member  that  middle-aged,  youngish-oldish 
woman,  Tom?  That's  the  one.— Where's  that 
servant  ? 

(SERVANT  is  just  making  exit.) 
Here!     Come  here! 

(SERVANT      comes      over      to      STARK 
WEATHER.) 

Go  to   the   telephone  and   call   up   Dobleman. 
Tell  him  to  come  here. 

SERVANT 

(Perplexed.) 
I  beg  pardon,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Irritably.) 

My     secretary.     At     my     house.     Dobleman. 
Tell  him  to  come  at  once. 

(SERVANT  makes  exit.) 

CHALMERS 

But   who    can    be    the    principal    behind    this 
theft? 

(STARKWEATHER  shrugs  his  shoulders.) 


80  THEFT  ACT  i 

HUBBARD 

A  blackmailing  device  most  probably.     They 
will  attempt  to  bleed  you— 

CHALMERS 
Unless — 

STARKWEATHER 
(Impatiently.) 
Yes? 

CHALMERS 

Unless  they  are  to  be  used  to-morrow  in  that 
speech  of  Knox. 

(Comprehension  dawns  on  the  faces  of  the 
other  two  men.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Who  has  arisen.) 

Anthony,  we  must  go  now.     Are  you  ready? 
Connie  has  to  dress. 

STARKWEATHER 

I  am  not  going  now.     You  and  Connie  take 
the  car. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

You    mustn't    forget   you    are   going   to   that 
dinner. 


ACT  i  THEFT  8l 

STARKWEATHER 
(  Wearily. ) 
Do  I  ever  forget? 

(SERVANT  enters  and  proceeds  toward 
STARKWEATHER,  where  he  stands  wait 
ing  while  MRS.  STARKWEATHER  finishes 
the  next  speech.  STARKWEATHER  lis 
tens  to  her  with  a  patient,  stony  face.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

Oh,  these  everlasting  politics!  That  is  what 
it  has  been  all  afternoon — high  prices,  graft,  and 
theft;  theft,  graft,  and  high  prices.  It  is  terri 
ble.  When  I  was  a  girl  we  did  not  talk  of  such 
things.  Well,  come  on,  Connie. 

MRS.  DOWSETT 

(Rising  and  glancing  at  DOWSETT.) 
And  we  must  be  going,  too. 

(During  the  following  scene,  which  takes 
place  around  STARKWEATHER,  MAR 
GARET  is  saying  good-bye  to  her  depart 
ing  guests.) 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER  and  CONNIE  make 
exit.) 

(DOWSETT    and    MRS.     DOWSETT     make 

exit.) 
6 


82  THEFT  ACT  i 

The  instant  MRS.  DOWSETT'S  remark 
puts  a  complete  end  to  MRS.  STARK 
WEATHER'S  speech,  STARKWEATHER, 
without  answer  or  noticing  his  wife, 
turns  and  interrogates  SERVANT  with  a 
glance.) 

SERVANT 

Mr.  Dobleman  has  already  left  some  time  to 
come  here,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 
Show  him  in  as  soon  as  he  comes. 

SERVANT 
Yes,  sir. 

(SERVANT  makes  exit.'} 

(MARGARET,  DOLORES  ORTEGA,  and  RUT 
LAND  are  left  in  a  group  together,  this 
time  around  tea-table,  where  MARGARET 
serves  RUTLAND  another  cup  of  tea. 
From  time  to  time  MARGARET  glances 
curiously  at  the  serious  group  of  men 
across  the  stage.) 

(STARKWEATHER  is  thinking  hard  with 
knitted  brows.  HUBBARD  is  likewise 
pondering.) 


ACT  i  THEFT  83 

CHALMERS 

If  I  were  certain  Knox  had  those  papers  I 
would  take  him  by  the  throat  and  shake  them 
out  of  him. 

STARKWEATHER 

No  foolish  talk  like  that,  Tom.  This  is  a  se 
rious  matter. 

HUBBARD 

But  Knox  has  no  money.  A  Starkweather 
stenographer  comes  high. 

STARKWEATHER 

There   is   more   than   Knox   behind  this. 

(Enter  DOBLEMAN,  walking  quickly  and 
in  a  state  of  controlled  excitement.) 

DOBLEMAN 

(To  STARKWEATHER.) 
You  received  that  telegram,  sir? 

(STARKWEATHER  nods.) 

I  got  the  New  York  office — Martinaw — right 
along  afterward,  by  long  distance.  I  thought 
it  best  to  follow  and  tell  you. 

STARKWEATHER 
What  did  Martinaw  say? 


84  THEFT  ACT  i 

DOBLEMAN 

The  files  seem  in  perfect  order. 

STARKWEATHER 

Thank  God! 

(During  the  following  speech  of  DOBLE 
MAN,  RUTLAND  says  good-bye  to  MAR 
GARET  and  DOLORES  ORTEGA  and  makes 
exit.) 

(MARGARET  and  DOLORES  ORTEGA  rise  a 
minute  afterward  and  go  toward  exit, 
throwing  curious  glances  at  the  men 
but  not  disturbing  them.) 

(DOLORES  ORTEGA  makes  exit.) 

(MARGARET  pauses  in  doorway  a  moment, 
giving  a  final  anxious  glance  at  the 
men,  and  makes  exit.) 

DOBLEMAN 

But  they  are  not.  The  stenographer,  Miss 
Standish,  has  confessed.  For  a  long  time  she 
has  followed  the  practice  of  taking  two  or  three 
letters  and  documents  at  a  time  away  from  the 
office.  Many  have  been  photographed  and  re 
turned.  But  the  more  important  ones  were  re 
tained  and  clever  copies  returned.  Martinaw 


ACT  I 


THEFT  85 


says  that  Miss  Standish  herself  does  not  know 
and  cannot  tell  which  of  the  ones  she  returned 
are  genuine  and  which  are  copies. 

HUBBARD 
Knox  never  did  this. 

STARKWEATHER 

Did  Martinaw  say  whom  Miss  Standish  was 
acting  for  ? 

DOBLEMAN 
Gherst. 

(The  alarm  on  the  three  men's  faces  is 
patent.} 

STARKWEATHER 
Gherst ! 

(Pauses  to  think.) 

HUBBARD 

Then  it  is  not  so  grave  after  all.  A  yellow 
journal  sensation  is  the  best  Gherst  can  make 
of  it.  And,  documents  or  not,  the  very  medium 
by  which  it  is  made  public  discredits  it. 

STARKWEATHER 
Trust  Gherst  for  more  ability  than  that.     He 


86  THEFT  ACT  i 

will  certainly  exploit  them  in  his  newspapers, 
but  not  until  after  Knox  has  used  them  in  his 
speech.  Oh,  the  cunning  dog!  Never  could 
he  have  chosen  a  better  mode  and  moment  to 
strike  at  me,  at  the  Administration,  at  every 
thing.  That  is  Gherst  all  over.  Playing  to  the 
gallery.  Inducing  Knox  to  make  this  spec 
tacular  exposure  on  the  floor  of  the  House  just 
at  the  critical  time  when  so  many  important 
bills  are  pending. 

(To   DOBLEMAN.) 

Did  Martinaw  give  you  any  idea  of  the  nature 
of  the  stolen  documents? 

DOBLEMAN 

(Referring  to  notes  he  has  brought.} 
Of   course    I    don't   know   anything   about   it, 
but  he  spoke  of  the  Goodyear  letters — 

(STARKWEATHER  betrays  by  his  face  the 
gravity   of  the  information.) 

the  Caledonian  letters,  all  the  Black  Rider  cor 
respondence.  He  mentioned,  too, 

(Referring  to  notes.) 

the  Astonbury  and  Glutz  letters.  And  there 
were  others,  many  others,  not  designated. 


ACT  i  THEFT  87 

STARKWEATHER 

This  is  terrible! 

(Recollecting  himself.) 

Thank  you,  Dobleman.  Will  you  please  re 
turn  to  the  house  at  once.  Get  New  York 
again,  and  fullest  details.  I'll  follow  you 
shortly.  Have  you  a  machine? 

DOBLEMAN 
A  taxi,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

All  right,  and  be  careful. 

( DOBLEMAN   makes   exit.) 

CHALMERS 

I  don't  know  the  import  of  all  these  letters, 
but  I  can  guess,  and  it  does  seem  serious. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Furiously.) 

Serious !  Let  me  tell  you  that  there  has 
been  no  exposure  like  this  in  the  history  of  the 
country.  It  means  hundreds  of  millions  of  dol 
lars.  It  means  more — the  loss  of  power.  And 
still  more,  it  means  the  mob,  the  great  mass  of 
the  child-minded  people  rising  up  and  destroying 


88  THEFT 


ACT  I 


all  that  I  have  labored  to  do  for  them.     Oh,  the 
fools!     The  fools! 

HUBBARD 

(Shaking  his  head  ominously.) 
There  is  no  telling  what  may  happen  if  Knox 
makes  that  speech  and  delivers  the  proofs. 

CHALMERS 

It  is  unfortunate.  The  people  are  restless  and 
excited  as  it  is.  They  are  being  constantly 
prodded  on  by  the  mouthings  of  the  radical 
press,  of  the  muck-raking  magazines  and  of  the 
demagogues.  The  people  are  like  powder  await 
ing  the  spark. 

STARKWEATHER 

This  man  Knox  is  no  fool,  if  he  is  a  dreamer. 
He  is  a  shrewd  knave.  He  is  a  fighter.  He 
comes  from  the  West — the  old  pioneer  stock. 
His  father  drove  an  ox-team  across  the  Plains 
to  Oregon.  He  knows  how  to  play  his  cards, 
and  never  could  circumstances  have  placed  more 
advantageous  cards  in  his  hands. 

CHALMERS 

And  nothing  like  this  has  ever  touched  you 
before. 


ACT  i  THEFT  89 

STARKWEATHER 

I  have  always  stood  above  the  muck  and  ruck 
— clear  and  clean  and  unassailable.  But  this — 
this  is  too  much !  It  is  the  spark.  There  is  no 
forecasting  what  it  may  develop  into. 

CHALMERS 
A  political  turnover. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Nodding  savagely.) 

A  new  party,  a  party  of  demagogues,  in  power. 
Government  ownership  of  the  railways  and  tele 
graphs.  A  graduated  income  tax  that  will  mean 
no  less  than  the  confiscation  of  private  capital. 

CHALMERS 

And  all  that  mass  of  radical  legislation— the 
Child  Labor  Bill,  the  new  Employers'  Liability 
Act,  the  government  control  of  the  Alaskan 
coal  fields,  that  interference  with  Mexico.  And 
that  big  power  corporation  you  have  worked  so 
hard  to  form. 

STARKWEATHER 

It  must  not  be.  It  is  an  unthinkable  calamity. 
It  means  that  the  very  process  of  capitalistic 


90  THEFT 


ACT   1 


development  is  hindered,  stopped.     It  means   a 
setback  of  ten  years  in  the  process.       It  means 
work,   endless   work,   to   overcome   the   setback. 
It  means  not  alone  the  passage  of  all  this  rad 
ical  legislation  with  the  consequent  disadvantages, 
but  it  means   the  fingers   of  the  mob  clutching 
at    our    grip    of    control.       It    means    anarchy. 
It  means  ruin  and  misery  for  all  the  blind  fools 
and  led-cattle  of  the  mass  who  will  strike  at  the 
very  sources  of  their  own  existence  and  comfort. 
(TOMMY  enters  from  left,  evidently  play 
ing  a  game,  in  the  course  of  which  he  is 
running  away.     By  his  actions  he  shows 
that   he   is   pursued.        He   intends   to 
cross  stage,  but  is  stopped  by  sight  of 
the  men.     Unobserved  by  them,  he  re 
traces  his  steps  and  crawls  under  the 
tea-table. ) 

CHALMERS 

Without  doubt,  Knox  is  in  possession  of  the 
letters  right  now. 


STARKWEATHER 
me  thing  to  do, 

(He  looks  questioningly  at  the  two  men.) 


There  is  but  one  thing  to  do,  and  that  is — get 
them  back. 


ACT  i  THEFT  91 

(MARGARET  enters  from  left,  in  Hushed 
and  happy  pursuit  of  TOMMY — for  it 
is  a  game  she  is  playing  with  him.  She 
startles  at  sight  of  the  three  men,  whom 
she  first  sees  as  she  gains  the  side  of 
the  tea-table,  where  she  pauses  ab 
ruptly,  resting  one  hand  on  the  table.) 

HUBBARD 

I'll  undertake  it. 

STARKWEATHER 

There  is  little  time  to  waste.  In  twenty 
hours  from  now  he  will  be  on  the  floor  making 
his  speech.  Try  mild  measures  first.  Offer  him 
inducements — any  inducement.  I  empower  you 
to  act  for  me.  You  will  find  he  has  a  price. 

HUBBARD 
And  if  not? 

STARKWEATHER 

Then  you  must  get  them  at  any  cost. 

HUBBARD 

(  Tentatively. ) 
You  mean — ? 


92  THEFT  ACT  i 

STARKWEATHER 

I  mean  just  that.  But  no  matter  what  hap 
pens,  I  must  never  be  brought  in.  Do  you  un 
derstand  ? 

HUBBARD 

Thoroughly. 

MARGARET 

(Acting  her  part,  and  speaking  with  as 
sumed  gayety.) 

What  are  you  three  conspiring  about? 
(All  three  men  are  startled.) 

CHALMERS 

We  are  arranging  •  to  boost  prices  a  little 
higher. 

HUBBARD 

And  so  be  able  to  accumulate  more  motor 
cars. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Taking  no  notice  of  MARGARET  and  start 
ing  toward  exit  to  rear.) 
I   must  be   going.     Hubbard,   you   have  your 
work  cut  out  for  you.     Tom,  I  want  you  to  come 
with  me. 


ACT  I  THEFT  93 

CHALMERS 

(As  the  three  men  move  toward  exit.) 
Home? 

STARKWEATHER 

Yes,  we  have  much  to  do. 

CHALMERS 

Then  I'll  dress  first  and  follow  you. 

(Turning  to  MARGARET.) 
Pick  me  up  on  the  way  to  that  dinner. 

(MARGARET  nods.  STARKWEATHER 
makes  exit  without  speaking.  HUB- 
bard  says  good-bye  to  MARGARET  and 
makes  exit,  followed  by  CHALMERS.) 

(MARGARET  remains  standing,  one  hand 
resting  on  table,  the  other  hand  to  her 
breast.  She  is  thinking,  establishing  in 
her  mind  the  connection  between  KNOX 
and  ivhat  she  has  overheard,  and  in 
process  of  reaching  the  conclusion  that 
KNOX  is  in  danger.) 

(TOMMY,  having  vainly  waited  to  be  dis 
covered,  crawls  out  dispiritedly,  and 
takes  MARGARET  by  the  hand.  She 
scarcely  notices  him.) 


94  THEFT  ACT  i 

TOMMY 
(Dolefully.) 
Don't  you  want  to  play  any  more? 

(MARGARET  does  not  reply). 
I  was  a  good  Indian. 

MARGARET 

(Suddenly  becoming  aware  of  herself  and 
breaking  down.  She  stoops  and  clasps 
TOMMY  in  her  arms,  crying  out,  in  anx 
iety  and  fear,  and  from  love  of  her 
boy.) 
Oh,  Tommy!  Tommy! 

CURTAIN 


ACT  II 


ACT  II. 

SCENE.    Sitting  room  of  HOWARD  KNOX — dimly  lighted. 
Time,  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Entrance  from  hallway  at  side  to  right.  At  right 
rear  is  locked  door  leading  to  a  room  which  does 
not  belong  to  KNOX'S  suite.  At  rear  center  is  fire 
place.  At  left  rear  door  leading  to  KNOX'S  bed 
room.  At  left  are  windows  facing  on  street.  Near 
these  windows  is  a  large  library  table  littered  with 
books,  magazines,  government  reports,  etc.  To 
the  right  of  center,  midway  forward,  is  a  Hat-top 
desk.  On  it  is  a  desk  telephone.  Behind  it,  so  that 
one  sitting  in  it  faces  audience,  is  revolving  desk- 
chair.  Also,  on  desk,  are  letters  in  their  envelopes, 
etc.  Against  clear  wall-spaces  are  bookcases  and 
filing  cabinets.  Of  special  note  is  bookcase,  con 
taining  large  books,  and  not  more  than  five  feet 
high,  which  is  against  wall  between  fireplace  and 
door  to  bedroom. 

Curtain  discloses  empty  stage. 

(After  a  slight  interval,  door  at  right  rear  is  shaken 
and  agitated.  After  slight  further  interval,  door  is 
opened  inward  upon  stage.  A  MAN'S  head  appears, 
cautiously  looking  around). 

(Man  enters,  turns  up  lights,  is  followed  by  second 
MAN.  Both  are  clad  decently,  in  knock-about  busi 
ness  suits  and  starched  collars,  cuffs,  etc.  They  are 
trim,  deft,  determined  men). 

(Following  upon   them,   enters  HUBBARD.    He   looks 

7  97 


98  THEFT  ACT  n 

about  room,  crosses  to  desk,  picks  up  a  letter,  and 
reads  address). 

HUBBARD 

This  is  Knox's  room  all  right. 

FIRST   MAN 
Trust  us  for  that. 

SECOND  MAN 

We  were  lucky  the  guy  with  the  whiskers 
moved  out  of  that  other  room  only  this  after 
noon. 

FIRST   MAN 

His  key  hadn't  come  down  yet  when  I  en 
gaged  it. 

HUBBARD 

Well,  get  to  work.  That  must  be  his  bed 
room. 

(He  goes  to  door  of  bedroom,  opens,  and 
peers  in,  turns  on  electric  lights  of 
bedroom,  turns  them  out,  then  turns 
back  to  men.} 

You  know  what  it  is — a  bunch  of  documents 
and  letters.  If  we  find  it  there  is  a  clean  five 
hundred  each  for  you,  in  addition  to  your  reg 
ular  pay. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  99 

( While  the  conversation  goes  on,  all  three 
engage  in  a  careful  search  of  desk, 
drawers,  -filing  cabinets,  bookcases, 
etc.) 

SECOND  MAN 

Old  Starkweather  must  want  them  bad. 

HUBBARD 
Sh-h.     Don't  even  breathe  his  name. 

SECOND  MAN 
His  nibs  is  damned  exclusive,  ain't  he? 

FIRST   MAN 

I've  never  got  a  direct  instruction  from  him, 
and  I've  worked  for  him  longer  than  you. 

SECOND  MAN 

Yes,  and  you  worked  for  him  for  over  two 
years  before  you  knew  who  was  hiring  you. 

HUBBARD 

(To   FIRST   MAN.) 

You'd  better  go  out  in  the  hall  and  keep  a 
watch  for  Knox.     He  may  come  in  any  time. 


100  THEFT  ACT  ii 

(FIRST  MAN  produces  skeleton  keys  and 
goes  to  door  at  right.  The  first  key 
opens  it.  Leaving  door  slightly  ajar, 
he  makes  exit.) 

(Desk  telephone  rings  and  startles  HUB- 
BARD.  ) 

SECOND  MAN 

(Grinning  at  HUBBARD' s  alarm.) 
It's  only  the  phone. 

HUBBARD 

(Proceeding  with  search.) 
I    suppose    you've    done    lots    of    work    for 
Stark— 

SECOND  MAN 

(Mimicking  him.) 
Sh-h.     Don't  breathe  his  name. 

(Telephone  rings  again  and  again,  insist 
ently,  urgently.) 

HUBBARD 

(Disguising  his  voice.) 
Hello— Yes. 

(Shows  surprise,  seems  to  recognize  the 
voice,  and  smiles  knowingly.) 


ACT  ii  THEFT  I0i 

No,  this  is  not  Knox.     Some  mistake.    Wrong 
number — 

(Hanging   up   receiver   and  speaking   to 

SECOND  MAN  in  natural  voice.) 
She  did  hang  up  quick. 

SECOND  MAN 
You  seemed  to  recognize  her. 

HUBBARD 

No,  I  only  thought  I  did. 

(A  pause,  while  they  search.) 

SECOND  MAN 

I've  never  spoken  a  word  to  his  nibs  in  my 
life.     And  I've  drawn  his  pay  for  years  too. 

HUBBARD 
What  of  it? 

SECOND  MAN 

(  Complainingly. ) 
He  don't  know  I  exist. 

HUBBARD 

(Pulling  open  a  desk  drawer  and  exam 
ining  contents.) 


102  THEFT  ACT  ii 

The  pay's  all  right,  isn't  it? 

SECOND  MAN 

It  sure  is,  but  I  guess  I  earn  every  cent  of  it. 
(FIRST    MAN     enters    through    door    at 
right.       He  moves  hurriedly  but  cau 
tiously.       Shuts  door  behind  him,  but 
neglects  to  re-lock  it.) 

FIRST   MAN 

Somebody  just  left  the  elevator  and  is  coming 
down  the  hall. 

(  HUBBARD,  FIRST  MAN,  and  SECOND 
MAN,  all  start  for  door  at  right  rear.) 

(FIRST  MAN  pauses  and  looks  around  to 
see  if  room  is  in  order.  Sees  desk- 
drawer  which  HUBBARD  has  neglected 
to  close,  goes  back  and  closes  it.) 

( HUBBARD  and  SECOND  MAN  make  exit.) 

(FIRST  MAN  turns  lights  low  and  makes 
exit.) 

(Sound  of  locking  door  is  heard.) 

(A  pause.) 

(A  knocking  at  door  to  right.  A  pause. 
Then  door  opens  and  Gifford  enters. 
He  turns  up  lights,  strolls  about  room, 


ACT  ii  THEFT  103 

looks  at  watch,  and  sits  down  in  chair 

near  right  of  fireplace.) 
(Sound  of  key  in  lock  of  door  to  right.) 
(Door  opens,  and  KNOX   enters,  key  in 

hand.     Sees  GIFFORD.) 

KNOX 

(Advancing  to  meet  him  at  fireplace  and 

shaking  hands.} 
How  did  you  get  in  ? 

GIFFORD 
I  let  myself  in.     The  door  was  unlocked. 

KNOX 
I  must  have  forgotten  it. 

GIFFORD 

(Drawing  bundle  of  documents  from  in 
side  breast  pocket  and  handing  them  to 
KNOX.) 
Well,  there  they  are. 

KNOX 

(Fingering  them  curiously.) 
You  are  sure  they  are  originals? 
( GIFFORD  nods.) 


104  THEFT  ACT  ii 

I  can't  take  any  chances,  you  know.  If 
Gherst  changed  his  mind  after  I  gave  my  speech 
and  refused  to  show  the  originals — such  things 
have  happened. 

GIFFORD 

That's  what  I  told  him.  He  was  firm  on  giv 
ing  duplicates,  and  for  awhile  it  looked  as  if  my 
trip  to  New  York  was  wasted.  But  I  stuck  to 
my  guns.  It  was  originals  or  nothing  with  you, 
I  said,  and  he  finally  gave  in. 

KNOX 

(Holding  up    documents.) 
I  can't  tell  you  what  they  mean  to  me,  nor  how 
grateful— 

GIFFORD 

(Interrupting.) 

That's  all  right.  Don't  mention  it.  Gherst 
is  wild  for  the  chance.  It  will  do  organized 
labor  a  heap  of  good.  And  you  are  able  to  say 
your  own  say  at  the  same  time.  How's  that 
compensation  act  coming  on? 

KNOX 
(Wearily.) 

The  same  old  story.  It  will  never  come 
before  the  House.  It  is  dying  in  committee. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  105 

What  can  you  expect  of  the  Committee  of  Judi 
ciary? — composed  as  it  is  of  ex-railroad  judges 
and  ex-railroad  lawyers. 

GIFFORD 

The  railroad  brotherhoods  are  keen  on  getting 
that  bill  through. 

KNOX 

Well,  they  won't,  and  they  never  will  until 
they  learn  to  vote  right.  When  will  your  labor 
leaders  quit  the  strike  and  boycott  and  lead 
your  men  to  political  action  ? 

GIFFORD 

(Holding  out  hand.) 

Well,  so  long.  I've  got  to  trot,  and  I  haven't 
time  to  tell  you  why  I  think  political  action  would 
destroy  the  trade  union  movement. 

(KNOX  tosses  documents  on  top  of  low 
bookcase    between    fireplace  and  bed 
room  door,  and  starts  to  shake  hands.) 
You're    damn    careless    with    those    papers. 
You  wouldn't  be  if  you  knew  how  much  Gherst 
paid  for  them. 

KNOX 
They're  safe  here. 


106  THEFT  ACT  ii 

GlFFORD 

You  don't  appreciate  that  other  crowd.  It 
stops  at  nothing. 

KNOX 

I  won't  take  my  eyes  off  of  them.  And  I'll 
take  them  to  bed  with  me  to-night  for  safety. 
Besides,  there  is  no  danger.  Nobody  but  you 
knows  I  have  them. 

GIFFORD 

(Proceeding  toward  door  to  right.) 
I'd  hate  to  be  in  Starkweather's  office  when  he 
discovers   what's  happened.       There'll  be  some 
bad  half  hours  for  somebody. 

(Pausing  at  door.) 

Give  them  hell  to-morrow,  good  and  plenty. 
I'm  going  to  be  in  a  gallery.     So  long. 
(Makes  exit.) 

(KNOX    crosses   to    windows,    which    he 
opens,  returns  to  desk,  seats  himself  in 
revolving  chair,  and  begins  opening  his 
correspondence.) 
(A  knock  at  door  to  right.) 

KNOX 
Come  in. 

(HUBBARD  enters,  advances  to  desk,  but 


ACT  ii  THEFT  107 

does  not  shake  hands.  They  greet  each 
other,  and  HUBBARD  sits  down  in  chair 
to  left  of  desk.) 

(KNOX,  still  holding  an  open  letter,  re 
volves  chair  so  as  to  face  his  visitor. 
He  waits  for  HUBBABD  to  speak.) 

HUBBARD 

There  is  no  use  beating  about  the  bush  with  a 
man  like  you.  I  know  that.  You  are  direct, 
and  so  am  I.  You  know  my  position  well 
enough  to  be  assured  that  I  am  empowered  to 
treat  with  you. 

KNOX 

Oh,  yes;  I  know. 

HUBBARD 

What  we  want  is  to  have  you  friendly. 
KNOX 

That  is  easy  enough.  When  the  Interests  be 
come  upright  and  honest — 

HUBBARD 

Save  that  for  your  speech.  We  are  talking 
privately.  We  can  make  it  well  worth  your 
while — 


108  THEFT  ACT  ii 

KNOX 
(Angrily.) 
If  you  think  you  can  bribe  me — 

HUBBARD 
(Suavely.) 

Not  at  all.  Not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  it. 
The  point  is  this.  You  are  a  congressman.  A 
congressman's  career  depends  on  his  member 
ship  in  good  committees.  At  the  present  you 
are  buried  in  the  dead  Committee  on  Coinage, 
Weights,  and  Measures.  If  you  say  the  word 
you  can  be  appointed  to  the  livest  committee — 

KNOX 

(Interrupting.) 
You  have  these  appointments  to  give? 

HUBBARD 

Surely.  Else  why  should  I  be  here?  It  can 
be  managed. 

KNOX 

^(Meditatively.)  . 

I  thought  our  government  was  rotten  enough, 
but  I  never  dreamed  that  House  appointments 
were  hawked  around  by  the  Interests  in  this 
fashion. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  109 

HUBBARD 

You  have  not  given  your  answer. 

KNOX 

You  should  have  known  my  answer  in  ad 
vance. 

HUBBARD 

There  is  an  alternative.  You  are  interested  in 
social  problems.  You  are  a  student  of  sociology. 
Those  whom  I  represent  are  genuinely  interested 
in  you.  We  are  prepared,  so  that  you  may 
pursue  your  researches  more  deeply — we  are 
prepared  to  send  you  to  Europe.  There,  in  that 
vast  sociological  laboratory,  far  from  the  jang 
ling  strife  of  politics,  you  will  have  every  op 
portunity  to  study.  We  are  prepared  to  send 
you  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  You  will  receive 
ten  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and,  in  addition,  the 
day  your  steamer  leaves  New  York,  you  will 
receive  a  lump  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars 

KNOX 

And  this  is  the  way  men  are  bought. 

HUBBARD 
It  is  purely  an  educational  matter. 


1 10  THEFT  ACT  ii 

KNOX 

Now   it   is   you    who    are  beating  about   the 
bush. 

HUBBARD 

(Decisively.) 

Very  well  then.     What  price  do  you  set  on 
yourself? 

KNOX 

You  want  me  to  quit — to  leave  politics,  every 
thing?     You  want  to  buy  my  soul? 

HUBBARD 

More  than  that.     We  want  to  buy  those  docu 
ments  and  letters. 

KNOX 

(Showing  a  slight  start.) 
What  documents  and  letters? 

HUBBARD 

You    are   beating   around   the   bush    in   turn. 
There  is  no  need  for  an  honest  man  to  lie  even — 


KNOX 


(Interrupting.) 
To  you. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  III 

HUBBARD 

(Smiling.) 

Even  to  me.  I  watched  you  closely  when  I 
mentioned  the  letters.  You  gave  yourself  away. 
You  knew  I  meant  the  letters  stolen  by  Gherst 
from  Starkweather's  private  files — the  letters 
you  intended  using  to-morrow. 

KNOX 

Intend  using  to-morrow. 
HUBBARD 

Precisely.  It  is  the  same  thing.  What  is 
the  price?  Set  it. 

KNOX 

I  have  nothing  to  sell.  I  am  not  on  the  mar 
ket. 

HUBBARD 

One  moment.  Don't  make  up  your  mind  has 
tily.  You  don't  know  with  whom  you  have  to 
deal.  Those  letters  will  not  appear  in  your 
speech  to-morrow.  Take  that  from  me.  It 
would  be  far  wiser  to  sell  for  a  fortune  than 
to  get  nothing  for  them  and  at  the  same  time 
not  use  them. 


112  THEFT 


ACT  II 


(A  knock  at  door  to  right  startles  HUB- 
BARD.) 

KNOX 

(Intending  to  say,  "Come  in.") 
Come — 

HUBBARD 

(Interrupting.) 
Hush.     Don't.     I  cannot  be  seen  here. 

KNOX 

(Laughing.) 

You  fear  the  contamination  of  my  company. 
(The  knock  is  repeated.) 

HUBBARD 

(In   alarm,   rising,   as   KNOX   purses  his 

lips  to  bid  them  enter.) 

Don't  let  anybody  in.  I  don't  want  to  be  seen 
here — with  you.  Besides,  my  presence  will  not 
put  you  in  a  good  light. 

KNOX 

(Also  rising,  starting  toward  door.) 
What  I   do  is  always  open  to  the  world.     I 
see  no  one  whom  I  should  not  permit  the  world 
to  know  I  saw. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  H3 

(KNOX  starts  toward  door  to  open  it.) 
(HUBBABD,  looking  about  him  in  alarm, 
flees  across  stage  and  into  bedroom, 
closing  the  door.  During  all  the  fol 
lowing  scene,  HUBBARD,  from  time  to 
time,  opens  door,  and  peers  out  at  what 
is  going  on.) 

KNOX 

(Opening  door,  and  recoiling.) 
Margaret !     Mrs.  Chalmers  ! 

(MARGARET  enters,  followed  by  TOMMY 
and  LINDA.  MARGARET  is  in  evening 
dress  covered  by  evening  cloak.) 

MARGARET 

(Shaking  hands  with  KNOX.) 
Forgive  me,  but  I  had  to  see  you.     I  could  not 
get  you  on  the  telephone.     I  called  and  called, 
and  the  best  I  could  do  was  to  get  the  wrong 
number. 

KNOX 

(Recovering  from  his  astonishment.) 
Yes.     I  am  glad. 

(Seeing  TOMMY.) 
Hello,  Tommy. 


H4  THEFT  ACT  ii 

(KNOX  holds  out  his  hand,  and  TOMMY 
shakes  it  gravely.  LINDA  stays  in  back 
ground.  Her  face  is  troubled.) 

TOMMY 
How  do  you  do? 

MARGARET 

There  was  no  other  way,  and  it  was  so  nec 
essary  for  me  to  warn  you.  I  brought  Tommy 
and  Linda  along  to  chaperon  me. 

(She  looks  curiously  around  room,  spec 
ially  indicating  filing  cabinets  and  the 
stacks  of  government  reports  on  table.) 
Your  laboratory. 

KNOX 

Ah,  if  I  were  only  as  great  a  sociological  wiz 
ard  as  Edison  is  a  wizard  in  physical  sciences. 

MARGARET 

But  you  are.  You  labor  more  mightily  than 
you  admit — or  dare  to  think.  Oh,  I  know  you— 
better  than  you  do  yourself. 

TOMMY 
Do  you  read  all  those  books? 


ACT  ii  THEFT  115 

KNOX 

Yes,  I  am  still  going  to  school  and  studying 
hard.  What  are  you  going  to  study  to  be  when 
you  grow  up? 

(TOMMY  meditates  but  does  not  answer.) 

President  of  these  great  United  States  ? 

TOMMY 

(Shaking  his  head.) 

Father  says  the  President  doesn't  amount  to 
much. 

KNOX 
Not  a  Lincoln? 

(TOMMY  is  in  doubt.) 

MARGARET 

But  don't  you  remember  what  a  great  good 
man  Lincoln  was?  You  remember  I  told  you? 

TOMMY 

(Shaking  his  head  slowly.) 
But  I   don't  want  to  be  killed.— I'll  tell  you 
what! 

KNOX 
What? 


Il6  THEFT  ACT  n 

TOMMY 

I  want  to  be  a  senator  like  father.     He  makes 
them  dance. 

(MARGARET  is  shocked,  and  KNOX'S  eyes 
twinkle.) 

KNOX 

Makes  whom  dance? 

TOMMY 
(Puzzled.) 

I  don't  know. 

(With  added  confidence.) 
But  he  makes  them  dance  just  the  same. 

(MARGARET  makes  a  signal  to  LINDA  to 
take  TOMMY  across  the  room.) 

LINDA 

(Starting  to  cross  stage  to  left.) 
Come,  Tommy.     Let  us  look  out  of  the  win 
dow. 

TOMMY 

I'd  rather  talk  with  Mr.  Knox. 

MARGARET 

Please  do,  Tommy.     Mamma  wants  to  talk  to 
Mr.  Knox. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  117 

(TOMMY  yields,  and  crosses  to  right, 
where  he  joins  LINDA  in  looking  out 
of  the  window.) 

MARGARET 

You  might  ask  me  to  take  a  seat. 
KNOX 

Oh!  I  beg  pardon. 

(He  draws  up  a  comfortable  chair  for 
her,  and  seats  himself  in  desk-chair, 
facing  her.) 

MARGARET 

I  have  only  a  few  minutes.  Tom  is  at 
father's,  and  I  am  to  pick  him  up  there  and  go  on 
to  that  dinner,  after  I've  taken  Tommy  home. 

KNOX 

But  your  maid? 

MARGARET 

Linda?  Wild  horses  could  not  drag  from  her 
anything  that  she  thought  would  harm  me.  So 
intense  is  her  fidelity  that  it  almost  shames  me. 
I  do  not  deserve  it.  But  this  is  not  what  I 
came  to  you  about. 


n8  THEFT  ACT  ii 

(She  speaks  the  following  hurriedly.) 
After  you  left  this  afternoon,  something  hap 
pened.  Father  received  a  telegram.  It  seemed 
most  important.  His  secretary  followed  upon 
the  heels  of  the  telegram.  Father  called  Tom 
and  Mr.  Hubbard  to  him  and  they  held  a  con 
ference.  I  think  they  have  discovered  the  loss 
of  the  documents,  and  that  they  believe  you 
have  them.  I  did  not  hear  them  mention  your 
name,  yet  I  am  absolutely  certain  that  they  were 
talking  about  you.  Also,  I  could  tell  from 
father's  face  that  something  was  terribly  wrong. 
Oh,  be  careful !  Do  be  careful ! 

KNOX 
There  is  no  danger,  I  assure  you. 

MARGARET 

But  you  do  not  know  them.  I  tell  you  you 
do  not  know  them.  They  will  stop  at  nothing — 
at  nothing.  Father  believes  he  is  right  in  all  that 
he  does. 

KNOX 

I  know.  That  is  what  makes  him  so  formid 
able.  He  has  an  ethical  sanction. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  119 

MARGARET 

(Nodding.) 
It  is  his  religion. 

KNOX 

And,  like  any  religion  with  a  narrow-minded 
man,  it  runs  to  mania. 

MARGARET 

He  believes  that  civilization  rests  on  him,  and 
that  it  is  his  sacred  duty  to  preserve  civiliza 
tion. 

KNOX 

I  know.     I  know. 

MARGARET 
But  you  ?     But  you  ?    You  are  in  danger. 

KNOX 

No;  I  shall  remain  in  to-night.  To-morrow, 
in  the  broad  light  of  midday,  I  shall  proceed  to 
the  House  and  give  my  speech. 

MARGARET 
(Wildly.) 
Oh,  if  anything  should  happen  to  you! 


120  THEFT  ACT  ii 

KNOX 

(Looking  at  her  searchingly.) 
You  do  care? 

(MARGARET    nods,    with    eyes    suddenly 

downcast.} 

For  Howard  Knox,  the  reformer?  Or  for  me, 
the  man? 

MARGARET 

(Impulsively.) 

Oh,  why  must  a  woman  forever  remain  quiet? 
Why  should  I  not  tell  you  what  you  already 
know? — what  you  must  already  know?  I  do 
care  for  you — for  man  and  reformer,  both — 
for— 

(She  is  aflame,  but  abruptly  ceases  and 
glances  across  at  TOMMY  by  the  win 
dow,  warned  instinctively  that  she  must 
not  give  way  to  love  in  her  child's  pres 
ence.) 

Linda!  Will  you  take  Tommy  down  to  the 
machine — 

KNOX 

(Alarmed,  interrupting,  in  low  voice.) 
What  are  you  doing? 


ACT  ii  THEFT  121 

MARGARET 

(Hushing  KNOX  with  a  gesture.) 
I'll  follow  you  right  down. 

(LINDA  and  TOMMY  proceed  across  stage 
toward  right  exit.) 

TOMMY 

(Pausing  before  KNOX  and  gravely  ex 
tending  his  hand.) 
Good  evening,  Mr.  Knox. 

KNOX 

(Awkwardly.) 

Good  evening,  Tommy.     You  take  my  word 
for  it,  and  look  up  this  Lincoln  question. 

TOMMY 

I  shall.     I'll  ask  father  about  it. 
MARGARET 

(Significantly. ) 

You    attend    to    that,    Linda.     Nobody  must 
know — this. 

(LINDA  nods.) 

(LINDA  and  TOMMY  make  exit  to  right.) 

(MARGARET,  seated,  slips  back  her  cloak, 


122  THEFT  ACT  ii 

revealing  herself  in  evening  gown,  and 
looks  at  KNOX  sumptuously,  lovingly, 
and  willingly.) 

KNOX 

(Inflamed  by  the  sight  of  her.) 
Don't!     Don't!     I  can't  stand  it.     Such  sight 
of  you  fills  me  with  madness. 

(MARGARET  laughs  low  and  trium 
phantly.) 

I  don't  want  to  think  of  you  as  a  woman.  I 
must  not.  Allow  me. 

(He  rises  and  attempts  to  draw  cloak 
about  her  shoulders,  but  she  resists  him. 
Yet  does  he  succeed  in  partly  cloaking 
her.) 

MARGARET 

I  want  you  to  see  me  as  a  woman.  I  want 
you  to  think  of  me  as  a  woman.  I  want  you 
mad  for  me. 

(She  holds  out  her  arms,  the  cloak  slip 
ping  from  them.) 

I  want — don't  you  see  what  I  want? 

(KNOX  sinks  back  in  chair,  attempting  to 

shield  his  eyes  with  his  hand.) 
(Slipping    cloak    fully    back    from    her 
again.} 


ACT  ii  THEFT  123 

Look  at  me. 

KNOX 

(Looking,  coming   to   his   feet,    and   ap 
proaching    her,    with    extended    arms, 
murmuring  softly.) 
Margaret.     Margaret. 

(MARGARET  rises  to  meet  him,  and  they 
are  clasped  in  each  other's  arms.) 

(HUBBARD,  peering  forth  through  door, 
looks  at  them  with  an  expression  of 
cynical  amusement.  His  gaze  wan 
ders,  and  he  sees  the  documents,  with 
in  arm's  reach,  on  top  of  bookcase. 
He  picks  up  documents,  holds  them 
to  the  light  of  stage  to  glance  at  them, 
and,  with  triumphant  expression  on 
face,  disappears  and  closes  door.) 

KNOX 

(Holding  MARGARET  from  him  and  look 
ing  at  her.) 

I  love  you.     I  do  love  you.     But  I  had  re 
solved  never  to  speak  it,  never  to  let  you  know. 

MARGARET 
Silly  man.     I  have  known  long  that  you  loved 


124  THEFT  ACT  ii 

me.  You  have  told  me  so  often  and  in  so  many 
ways.  You  could  not  look  at  me  without  telling 
me. 

KNOX 
You  saw? 

MARGARET 

How  could  I  help  seeing?     I  was  a  woman. 

Only,  with  your  voice  you  never  spoke  a  word. 

Sit  down,  there,  where  I  may  look  at  you,  and 

let  me  tell  you.     I  shall  do  the  speaking  now. 

(She  urges  him  back  into  the  desk-chair, 

and  reseats  herself.) 
(She  makes  as  if  to  pull  the  cloak  around 

her.) 
Shall  I? 

KNOX 

(Vehemently.) 

No,  no!     As  you  are.     Let  me  feast  my  eyes 
upon  you  who  are  mine.     I  must  be  dreaming. 

MARGARET 

(With  a  low,  satisfied  laugh  of  triumph.) 
Oh,  you  men !     As  of  old,  and  as  forever,  you 
must  be  wooed  through  your  senses.     Did  I  dis 
play  the  wisdom  of  an  Hypatia,  the  science  of  a 
Madam   Curie,   yet  would  you  keep  your  iron 


ACT  ii  THEFT  125 

control,  throttling  the  voice  of  your  heart  with 
silence.  But  let  me  for  a  moment  be  Lilith, 
for  a  moment  lay  aside  this  garment  constructed 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  out  the  chill  of 
night,  and  on  the  instant  you  are  fire  and  aflame, 
all  voluble  with  love's  desire. 

KNOX 

(Protestingly.) 
Margaret  f     It  is  not  fair ! 

MARGARET 
I  love  you — and — you? 

KNOX 

(Fervently    and   reverently.) 
I  love  you. 

MARGARET 

Then  listen.  I  have  told  you  of  my  girlhood 
and  my  dreams.  I  wanted  to  do  what  you  are 
so  nobly  doing.  And  I  did  nothing.  I  could 
do  nothing.  I  was  not  permitted.  Always  was 
I  compelled  to  hold  myself  in  check.  It  was  to 
do  what  you  are  doing,  that  I  married.  And 
that,  too,  failed  me.  My  husband  became  a 
henchman  of  the  Interests,  my  own  father's  tool 


126  THEFT  ACT  ii 

for  the  perpetuation  of  the  evils  against  which  I 
desired  to  fight. 

(She  pauses.) 

It  has  been  a  long  fight,  and  I  have  been  very 
tired,  for  always  did  I  confront  failure.  My 
husband — I  did  not  love  him.  I  never  loved 
him.  I  sold  myself  for  the  Cause,  and  the  cause 
profited  nothing. 
(Pause.) 

Often,  I  have  lost  faith — faith  in  everything,  in 
God  and  man,  in  the  hope  of  any  righteousness 
ever  prevailing.  But  again  and  again,  by  what 
you  are  doing,  have  you  awakened  me.  I  came 
to-night  with  no  thought  of  self.  I  came  to  warn 
you,  to  help  the  good  work  on.  I  remained — 
thank  God ! — I  remained  to  love  you — and  to  be 
loved  by  you.  I  suddenly  found  myself,  looking 
at  you,  very  weary.  I  wanted  you — you,  more 
than  anything  in  the  world. 

(She  holds  out  her  arms.) 
Come  to  me.     I  want  you — now. 

(KNOX,  in  an  ecstacy,  comes  to  her.  He 
seats  himself  on  the  broad  arm  of  the 
chair  and  is  drawn  into  her  arms.) 

KNOX 
But  I  have  been  tired  at  times.     I  was  very 


ACT  ii  THEFT  127 

tired  to-night — and  you  came.     And  now  I  am 
glad,  only  glad. 

MARGARET 

I  have  been  wanton  to-night.  I  confess  it.  I 
am  proud  of  it.  But  it  was  not — professional. 
It  was  the  first  time  in  my  life.  Almost  do  I 
regret — almost  do  I  regret  that  I  did  not  do  it 
sooner — it  has  been  crowned  with  such  success. 
You  have  held  me  in  your  arms — your  arms. 
Oh,  you  will  never  know  what  that  first  embrace 
meant  to  me.  I  am  not  a  clod.  I  am  not  iron 
nor  stone.  I  am  a  woman — a  warm,  breathing 
woman — . 

(She  rises,  and  draws  him  to  his  feet.) 

Kiss  me,  my  dear  lord  and  lover.     Kiss  me. 
(They  embrace.) 

KNOX 

(Passionately,  looking  about  him  wildly 

as  if  in  search  of  something.) 
What  shall  we  do? 

(Suddenly  releasing  her  and  sinking  back 

in  his  own  chair  almost  in  collapse.) 
No.     It  cannot  be.     It  is   impossible.       Oh, 
why   could   we   not   have   met  long  ago?    We 
would  have  worked  together.     What  a  comrade 
ship  it  would  have  been. 


128  THEFT  ACT  ii 

MARGARET 
But  it  is  not  too  late. 

KNOX 
I  have  no  right  to  you. 

MARGARET 

(  Misunderstanding. ) 

My  husband?  He  has  not  been  my  husband 
for  years.  He  has  no  rights.  Who,  but  you 
whom  I  love,  has  any  rights? 

KNOX 

No ;  it  is  not  that. 

(Snapping  his  fingers.) 
That  for  him. 

(Breaking  down.) 

Oh,  if  I  were  only  the  man,  and  not  the  re 
former  !     If  I  had  no  work  to  do ! 

MARGARET 

(Coming    to    the    back   of  his   chair  and 

caressing  his  hair.) 
We  can   work  together. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  129 

KNOX 

(Shaking  his  head  under  her  fingers.) 
Don't !     Don't ! 

(She  persists,  and  lays  her  cheek  against 
his.) 
You  make  it  so  hard.     You  tempt  me  so. 

(He  rises  suddenly,  takes  her  two  hands 
in  his,  leads  her  gently  to  her  chair, 
seats  her,  and  reseats  himself  in  desk- 
chair.) 

Listen.     It  is  not  your  husband.     But  I  have 
no  right  to  you.     Nor  have  you  a  right  to  me. 

MARGARET 

(Interrupting,  jealously.) 
And  who  but  I  has  any  right  to  you? 

KNOX 

(Smiling  sadly.) 

No :  it  is  not  that.  There  is  no  other  woman. 
You  are  the  one  woman  for  me.  But  there  are 
many  others  who  have  greater  rights  in  me  than 
you.  I  have  been  chosen  by  two  hundred  thou 
sand  citizens  to  represent  them  in  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States.  And  there  are  many 
more — 
9 


130  THEFT  ACT  ii 

(He  breaks  off  suddenly  and  looks  at  her, 

at  her  arms  and  shoulders.} 
Yes,  please.     Cover  them  up.     Help  me  not 
to  forget. 

(MARGARET  does  not  obey.} 
There  are  many  more  who  have  rights  in  me 
— the  people,  all  the  people,  whose  cause  I  have 
made  mine.  The  children — there  are  two  million 
child  laborers  in  these  United  States.  I 
cannot  betray  them.  I  cannot  steal  my  happi 
ness  from  them.  This  afternoon  I  talked  of 
theft.  But  would  not  this,  too,  be  theft? 

MARGARET 
(Sharply.) 

Howard !  Wake  up !  Has  our  happiness 
turned  your  head? 

KNOX 
(Sadly.) 

Almost — and  for  a  few  wild  moments,  quite. 
There  are  all  the  children.  Did  I  ever  tell  you 
of  the  tenement  child,  who  when  asked  how  he 
knew  when  spring  came,  answered :  When  he 
saw  the  saloons  put  up  their  swing  doors. 

MARGARET 
(Irritated.) 

But  what  has  all  that  to  do  with  one  man  and 
one  woman  loving? 


ACT  ii  THEFT  131 

KNOX 

Suppose  we  loved — you  and  I;  suppose  we 
loosed  all  the  reins  of  our  love.  What  would 
happen?  You  remember  Gorki,  the  Russian 
patriot,  when  he  came  to  New  York,  aflame 
with  passion  for  the  Russian  revolution.  His 
purpose  in  visiting  the  land  of  liberty  was  to 
raise  funds  for  that  revolution.  And  because 
his  marriage  to  the  woman  he  loved  was  not  of 
the  essentially  legal  sort  worshiped  by  the  shop 
keepers,  and  because  the  newspapers  made  a  sen 
sation  of  it,  his  whole  mission  was  brought  to 
failure.  He  was  laughed  and  derided  out  of 
the  esteem  of  the  American  people.  That  is  what 
would  happen  to  me.  I  should  be  slandered  and 
laughed  at.  My  power  would  be  gone. 

MARGARET 

And  even  if  so — what  of  it?  Be  slandered 
and  laughed  at.  We  will  have  each  other. 
Other  men  will  rise  up  to  lead  the  people,  and 
leading  the  people  is  a  thankless  task.  Life  is 
so  short.  We  must  clutch  for  the  morsel  of 
happiness  that  may  be  ours. 

KNOX 
Ah,   if  you   knew,  as   I   look  into  your   eyes, 


132 


THEFT  ACT  ii 


how  easy  it  would  be  to  throw  everything  to  the 
winds.     But  it  would  be  theft. 

MARGARET 

(Rebelliously.) 

Let  it  be  theft.  Life  is  so  short,  dear.  We 
are  the  biggest  facts  in  the  world — to  each  other. 

KNOX 

It  is  not  myself  alone,  nor  all  my  people.  A 
moment  ago  you  said  no  one  but  I  had  any  right 
to  you.  You  were  wrong.  Your  child — 

MARGARET 

(In  sudden  pain,  pleadingly.) 
Don't ! 

KNOX 

I-  must.  I  must  save  myself — and  you. 
Tommy  has  rights  in  you.  Theft  again.  What 
other  name  for  it  if  you  steal  your  happiness 
from  him  ? 

MARGARET 

(Bending  her  head  forward  on  her  hand 

and  weeping.) 

I  have  been  so  lonely — and  then  you — you 
came,  and  the  world  grew  bright  and  warm — a 


ACT  ii  THEFT 


133 


few  short  minutes  ago  you  held  me — in  your 
arms — a  few  short  minutes  ago  and  it  seemed 
my  dream  of  happiness  had  come  true — and  now 
you  dash  it  from  me — 

KNOX 

(Struggling  to  control  himself  now  that 

she  is  no  longer  looking  at  him.) 
No ;  I  ask  you  to  dash  it  from  yourself.     I  am 
not  too  strong.     You  must  help  me.     You  must 
call  your   child  to   your   aid   in   helping  me.     I 
could  go  mad  for  you  now — 

(Rising  impulsively   and   coming  to   her 
with  arms  outstretched  to  clasp  her.) 
Right  now — 

MARGARET 

(Abruptly  raising  her  head,  and  with  one 
outstretched    arm   preventing    the    em 
brace.  ) 
Wait. 

(She  bows  her  head  on  her  hand  for  a 
moment,  to  think  and  to  win  control  of 
herself. ) 

(Lifting  her  head  and  looking  at  him.) 
Sit  down — please. 

(KNOX  reseats  himself.') 


134  THEFT  ACT  u 

(A  pause,  during  which  she  looks  at  him 

and  loves  him.) 
Dear,  I  do  so  love  you — 

(KNOX  loses  control  and  starts  to  rise.) 
No!  Sit  there.  I  was  weak.  Yet  I  am  not 
sorry.  You  are  right.  We  must  forego  each 
other.  We  cannot  be  thieves,  even  for  love's 
sake.  Yet  I  am  glad  that  this  has  happened — 
that  I  have  lain  in  your  arms  and  had  your  lips 
on  mine.  The  memory  of  it  will  be  sweet 
always. 

(She   draws  her   cloak  around  her,  and 

rises. ) 

(KNOX  rises.) 

You  are  right.  The  future  belongs  to  the 
children.  There  lies  duty — yours,  and  mine  in 
my  small  way.  I  am  going  now.  We  must 
not  see  each  other  ever  again.  We  must  work 
— and  forget.  But  remember,  my  heart  goes 
with  you  into  the  fight.  My  prayers  will  ac 
company  every  stroke. 

(She  hesitates,  pauses,  draws  her  cloak 
thoroughly  around  her  in  evidence  of 
departure.) 

Dear — will  you  kiss  me — once — one  last  time? 
(There  is  no  passion  in  this  kiss,  ivhich  is 
the  kiss  of  renunciation.       MARGARET 
herself  terminates  the  embrace.) 


ACT  ii  THEFT  135 

(KNOX   accompanies  her  silently  to   the 

door  and  places  hand  on  knob.) 
I  wish  I  had  something  of  you  to  have  with 
me  always — a  photograph,   that   little  one,   you 
remember,  which  I  liked  so. 

(She  nods.) 

Don't  run  the  risk  of  sending  it  by  messenger. 
Just  mail  it  ordinarily. 

MARGARET 

I  shall  mail  it  to-morrow.  I'll  drop  it  in  the 
box  myself. 

KNOX 

(Kissing  her  hand.) 
Good-bye. 

(MARGARET,  lingeringly.) 

But  oh,  my  dear,  I  am  glad  and  proud  for 
what  has  happened.  I  would  not  erase  a  sin 
gle  line  of  it. 

(She  indicates  for  KNOX  to  open  door, 
which  he  does,  but  which  he  imme 
diately  closes  as  she  continues  speak 
ing.) 

There  must  be  immortality.     There  must  be  a 
future  life  where  you  and  I  shall  meet  again. 
Good-bye. 


136  THEFT 


ACT  II 


(They  press  each  other's  hands.) 

(Exit  MARGARET.) 

(KNOX  stands  a  moment,  staring  at  closed 
door,  turns  and  looks  about  him  inde 
cisively,  sees  chair  in  which  MARGARET 
sat,  goes  over  to  it,  kneels  down,  and 
buries  his  face.) 

(Door  to  bedroom  opens  slowly  and  HUB- 
BARD  peers  out  cautiously.  He  cannot 
see  KNOX.) 

HUBBARD 

(Advancing,  surprised.) 
What  the  deuce?     Everybody  gone? 

KNOX 

(Startled  to  his  feet.) 
Where  the  devil  did  you  come  from? 

HUBBARD 

(Indicating  bedroom.) 
In  there.     I  was  in  there  all  the  time. 

KNOX 

(Endeavoring  to  pass  it  off.) 
Oh,    I   had    forgotten  about  you.     Well,  my 
callers  are  gone. 


ACT  ii  THEFT  137 

HUBBARD 

(Walking  over  close  to  him  and  laughing 

at  him  'with  affected  amusement.) 
Honest  men  are  such  dubs  when  they  do  go 
wrong. 

KNOX 

The  door  was  closed  all  the  time.  You  would 
not  have  dared  to  spy  upon  me. 

HUBBARD 
There  was  something  familiar  about  the  lady's 

voice. 

KNOX 

You  heard!— what  did  you  hear? 

HUBBARD 

Oh,  nothing,  nothing — a  murmur  of  voices — 
and  the  woman's — I  could  swear  I  have  heard 
her  voice  before. 

(KNOX  shows  his  relief.) 
Well,  so  long. 

(Starts  to  move  toward  exit  to  right.) 
You  won't  reconsider  your  decision? 

KNOX 
(Shaking  his  head.) 

No. 


138  THEFT 


ACT  II 


HUBBARD 

(Pausing,  open  door  in  hand,  and  laugh 
ing  cynically.) 

And  yet  it  was  but  a  moment  ago  that  it 
seemed  I  heard  you  say  there  was  no  one  whom 
you  would  not  permit  the  world  to  know  you 
saw. 

(Starting.) 
What  do  you  mean  ? 

HUBBARD 
Good-bye. 

(HUBBARD  makes  exit  and  closes  door.) 
(KNOX  wanders  aimlessly  to  his  desk, 
glances  at  the  letter  he  was  reading  of 
which  had  been  interrupted  by  HUB- 
BARD'S  entry  of  first  act,  suddenly  recol 
lects  the  package  of  documents,  and 
walks  to  low  bookcase  and  looks  on 
top.) 

KNOX 
(Stunned.) 
The  thief! 

(He  looks  about  him  wildly,  then  rushes 
like  a  madman  in  pursuit  of  HUBBARD, 
making  exit  to  right  and  leaving  the 
door  flying  open.) 
(Empty  stage  for  a  moment.) 

CURTAIN 


ACT  III 


ACT  III 

SCENE.  The  library,  used  as  a  sort  of  semi-office  by 
STARKWEATHER  at  such  times  when  he  is  in  Wash 
ington.  Door  to  right;  also,  door  to  right  rear. 
At  left  rear  is  an  alcove,  without  hangings,  which 
is  dark.  To  left  are  windows.  To  left,  near  win 
dows,  a  flat-top  desk,  with  desk-chair  and  desk- 
telephone.  Also,  on  desk,  conspicuously,  is  a  heavy 
dispatch  box.  At  the  center  rear  is  a  large  screen. 
Extending  across  center  back  of  room  are  heavy, 
old-fashioned  bookcases,  with  swinging  glass  doors. 
The  bookcases  narrow  about  four  feet  from  the 
floor,  thus  forming  a  ledge.  Between  left  end  of 
bookcases  and  alcove  at  left  rear,  high  up  on  wall, 
hangs  a  large  painting  or  steel  engraving  of  Abra 
ham  Lincoln.  In  design  and  furnishings,  it  is  a 
simple  chaste  room,  coldly  rigid  and  slightly  old- 
fashioned. 

It  is  9:30  in  the  morning  of  the  day  succeeding  prev 
ious  act. 

Curtain  discloses  STARKWEATHER  seated  at  desk,  and 
DOBLEMAN,  to  right  of  desk,  standing. 

STARKWEATHER 

All  right,  though  it  is  an  unimportant  publica 
tion.     I'll  subscribe. 

141 


142  THEFT  ACT  in 

DOBLEMAN 

(Making  note  on  pad.) 
Very  well,  sir.     Two  thousand. 

(He  consults  his  notes.) 

Then  there  is  Vandenvater's  Magazine.  Your 
subscription  is  due. 

STARKWEATHER 
How  much? 

DOBLEMAN 

You  have  been  paying  fifteen  thousand. 

STARKWEATHER 

It  is  too  much.  What  is  the  regular  subscrip 
tion? 

DOBLEMAN 
A  dollar  a  year. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Shaking  his  head  emphatically.) 
It  is  too  much. 

DOBLEMAN 

Professor  Vanderwater  also  does  good  work 
with  his  lecturing.  He  is  regularly  on  the 
Chautauqua  Courses,  and  at  that  big  meeting 
of  the  National  Civic  Federation,  his  speech  was 
exceptionally  telling. 


ACT  in  THEFT  143 

STARKWEATHER 

(Doubtfully,  about  to  give  in.) 
All  right— 

(He  pauses,  as  if  recollecting  something.) 
(DOBLEMAN  has  begun  to  write  down  the 

note.) 

No.  I  remember  there  was  something  in  the 
papers  about  this  Professor  Vanderwater — a  di 
vorce,  wasn't  it?  He  has  impaired  his  authority 
and  his  usefulness  to  me. 

DOBLEMAN 
It  was  his  wife's  fault. 

STARKWEATHER 

It  is  immaterial.  His  usefulness  is  impaired. 
Cut  him  down  to  ten  thousand.  It  will  teach 
him  a  lesson. 

DOBLEMAN 
Very  good,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

And  the  customary  twenty  thousand  to  Cart- 
wright's. 


144  THEFT  A.CT  in 

DOBLEMAN 

(Hesitatingly.) 

They  have  asked  for  more.  They  have  en 
larged  the  magazine,  reorganized  the  stock,  staff, 
everything. 

STARKWEATHER 

Hubbard's  writing  for  it,  isn't  he? 

DOBLEMAN 

Yes,  sir.  And  though  I  don't  know,  it  is 
whispered  that  he  is  one  of  the  heavy  stock 
holders. 

STARKWEATHER 

A  very  capable  man.  He  has  served  me  well. 
How  much  do  they  want? 

DOBLEMAN 

They  say  that  Nettman  series  of  articles  cost 
them  twelve  thousand  alone,  and  that  they  be 
lieve,  in  view  of  the  exceptional  service  they 
are  prepared  to  render,  and  are  rendering,  fifty 
thousand — 

STARKWEATHER 

(Shortly.) 

All  right.  How  much  have  I  given  to  Uni 
versity  of  Hanover  this  year? 


ACT  III 


THEFT  145 


DOBLEMAN 

Seven— nine    millions,    including    that    new 
library. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Sighing.) 

Education    does    cost.     Anything    more    this 

morning? 

DOBLEMAN 

(Consulting  notes.) 

Just  one  other— Mr.  Rutland.  His  church, 
you  know,  sir,  and  that  theological  college.  He 
told  me  he  had  been  talking  it  over  with  you. 
He  is  anxious  to  know. 

STARKWEATHER 

He's  very  keen,  I  must  say.  Fifty  thousand 
for  the  church,  and  a  hundred  thousand  for  the 
college — I  ask  you,  candidly,  is  he  worth  it  ? 

DOBLEMAN 

The  church  is  a  very  powerful  molder  of  pub 
lic  opinion,  and  Mr.  Rutland  is  very  impressive. 
(Running  over  the  notes  and  producing  a 

clipping.) 

This  is  what  he  said  in  his  sermon  two  weeks 
10 


146  THEFT  ACT  in 

ago :  "God  has  given  to  Mr.  Starkweather  the  tal 
ent  for  making  money  as  truly  as  God  has  given 
to  other  men  the  genius  which  manifests  itself  in 
literature  and  the  arts  and  sciences." 


STARKWEATHER 


(Pleased.) 

He  says  it  well. 

DOBLEMAN 

(Producing  another  clipping.) 
And  this  he  said  about  you  in  last  Sunday's 
sermon :  "We  are  to-day  rejoicing  in  the  great 
light  of  the  consecration  of  a  great  wealth  to 
the  advancement  of  the  race.  This  vast  wealth 
has  been  so  consecrated  by  a  man  who  all 
through  life  has  walked  in  accord  with  the  word, 
The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  me.' " 

STARKWEATHER 

(Meditatively.) 

Dobleman,  I  have  meant  well.  I  mean  well. 
I  shall  always  mean  well.  I  believe  I  am  one  of 
those  few  men,  to  whom  God,  in  his  infinite  wis 
dom,  has  given  the  stewardship  of  the  people's 
wealth.  It  is  a  high  trust,  and  despite  the  abuse 


ACT  in  THEFT  147 

and  vilification  heaped  upon  me,  I  shall  remain 
faithful  to  it. 

(Changing  his  tone  abruptly  to  business 
like  briskness.) 

Very  well.  See  that  Mr.  Rutland  gets  what 
he  has  asked  for. 

DOBLEMAN 

Very  good,  sir.  I  shall  telephone  him.  I 
know  he  is  anxious  to  hear. 

(Starting  to  leave  the  room.) 
Shall  I  make  the  checks  out  in  the  usual  way? 

STARKWEATHER 

Yes:  except  the  Rutland  one.  I'll  sign  that 
myself.  Let  the  others  go  through  the  regular 
channels.  We  take  the  2:10  train  for  New 
York.  Are  you  ready? 

DOBLEMAN 

(Indicating  dispatch  box.) 
All,  except  the  dispatch  box. 

STARKWEATHER 

I'll  take  care  of  that  myself. 

(DOBLEMAN  starts  to  make  exit  to  left, 


148  THEFT 


ACT   III 


and   STARKWEATHER,   taking  notebook 
from  pocket,  glances  into  it,  and  looks 
up.) 
Dobleman. 

DOBLEMAN 
(Pausing.) 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Mrs.  Chalmers  is  here,  isn't  she? 

DOBLEMAN 

Yes,  sir.  She  came  a  few  minutes  ago,  with 
her  little  boy.  They  are  with  Mrs.  Stark 
weather. 

STARKWEATHER 

Please  tell  Mrs.  Chalmers  I  wish  to  see  her. 

DOBLEMAN 
Yes,  sir. 

(DOBLEMAN  makes  exit.) 
(MAIDSERVANT    enters   from   right   rear, 
with  card  tray.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Examining  card.) 
Show  him  in. 


ACT  in  THEFT  149 

(MAIDSERVANT  makes  exit  right  rear}. 
(Pause,    during    which    STARKWEATHER 

consults  notebook.} 
(MAIDSERVANT     re-enters,     showing     in 

HUBBARD.) 

(HUBBARD  advances   to   desk.} 
(STARKWEATHER  is  so  glad  to  see  him  that 

he  half  rises  from  his  chair  to  shake 

hands.} 

STARKWEATHER 

(Heartily.} 

I  can  only  tell  you  that  what  you  did  was  won 
derful.  Your  telephone  last  night  was  a  great 
relief.  Where  are  they? 

HUBBARD 

(Drawing  package  of  documents  from  in 
side  breast  pocket  and  handing  them 
over.} 

There  they  are — the  complete  set.  I  was  for 
tunate. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Opening    package    and    glancing    at    a 
number    of    the    documents    while    he 
talks.} 
You  are  modest,   Mr.  Hubbard. — It  required 


I50  THEFT  ACT  m 

more — than  fortune. — It  required  ability — of  no 
mean  order. — The  time  was  short. — You  had  to 
think — and  act — with  too  great  immediacy  to  be 
merely  fortunate. 

(HUBBARD    bows,   while    STARKWEATHER 
rearranges  package.) 

There  is  no  need  for  me  to  tell  you  how  I 
appreciate  your  service.  I  have  increased 
my  subscription  to  Cartwright's  to  fifty  thousand, 
and  I  shall  speak  to  Dobleman,  who  will  remit 
to  you  a  more  substantial  acknowledgment  than 
my'  mere  thanks  for  the  inestimable  service  you 
have  rendered. 

( HUBBARD  bows.) 
You— ah— you  have  read  the  documents? 

HUBBARD 

I  glanced  through  them.  They  were  indeed 
serious.  But  we  have  spiked  Knox's  guns. 
Without  them,  that  speech  of  his  this  afternoon 
becomes  a  farce— a  howling  farce.  Be  sure 
you  take  good  care  of  them. 

(Indicating    documents,     which     STARK 
WEATHER  still  holds.) 
Gherst  has  a  long  arm. 


ACT    III 


THEFT  151 


STARKWEATHER 

He  cannot  reach  me  here.  Besides,  I  go  to 
New  York  to-day,  and  I  shall  carry  them  with 
me.  Mr.  Hubbard,  you  will  forgive  me— 

(Starting  to  pack  dispatch  box  with  pa 
pers  and  letters  lying  on  desk.) 
I  am  very  busy. 

HUBBARD 

(Taking  the  hint.) 

Yes,  I  understand.  I  shall  be  going  now.  I 
have  to  be  at  the  Club  in  five  minutes. 

STARKWEATHER 

(In   course   of  packing  dispatch  box,  he 
sets  certain  packets  of  papers  and  sev 
eral  medium-sized  account  books  to  one 
side  in  an  orderly  pile.     He  talks  while 
he  packs,  and  HUBBARD  waits.) 
I  should  like  to  talk  with  you  some  more— in 
New    York.     Next   time    you    are    in    town   be 
sure  to  see  me.     I   am  thinking  of  buying  the 
Parthenon  Magazine,  and  of  changing  its  pol 
icy.     I  should  like  to  have  you  negotiate  this,  and 
there  are  other  important  things  as  well.     Good 
day,    Mr.    Hubbard.     I    shall   see   you   in   New 
York — soon. 


152  THEFT  ACT  m 

(HUBBARD  and  STARKWEATHER  shake 
hands. ) 

(  HUBBARD  starts  to  make  exit  to  right 
rear. } 

(MARGARET  enters  from  right  rear.} 

(STARKWEATHER  goes  on  packing  dis 
patch  box  through  following  scene.} 

HUBBARD 

Mrs.  Chalmers. 

(Holding    out    hand,    which    MARGARET 
takes  very  coldly,  scarcely  inclining  her 
head,  and  starting  to  pass  on.} 
(Speaking  suddenly  and  savagely.} 
You  needn't  be  so  high  and  lofty,  Mrs.  Chal 
mers. 

MARGARET 

(Pausing  and  looking  at  him  curiously 
as  if  to  ascertain  whether  he  has  been 
drinking.} 
I  do  not  understand. 

HUBBARD 

You  always  treated  me  this  way,  but  the  time 
for  it  is  past.  I  won't  stand  for  your  superior 
goodness  any  more.  You  really  impressed  me 


ACT  in  THEFT  153 

with  it  for  a  long  time,  and  you  made  me  walk 
small.  But  I  know  better  now.  A  pretty  game 
you've  been  playing — you,  who  are  like  any  other 
woman.  Well,  you  know  where  you  were  last 
night.  So  do  I. 

MARGARET 

You  are  impudent. 

HUBBARD 

(Doggedly.) 

I  said  I  knew  where  you  were  last  night.  Mr. 
Knox  also  knows  where  you  were.  But  I'll 
wager  your  husband  doesn't. 

MARGARET 

You  spy ! 

(Indicating  her  father.) 
I  suppose  you  have  told — him. 

HUBBARD 
Why  should  I? 

MARGARET 

You  are  his  creature. 

HUBBARD 
If  it  will  ease  your  suspense,  let  me  tell  you 


154  THEFT  ACT  in 

that  I  have  not  told  him.  But  I  do  protest  to 
you  that  you  must  treat  me  with  more — more 
kindness. 

(MARGARET  makes  no  sign  but  passes  on 

utterly   oblivious   of   him.) 
(  HUBBARD  stares  angrily  at  her  and  makes 

exit.} 

(STARKWEATHER,  who  is  finishing  pack 
ing,  puts  the  documents  last  inside  box, 
and  closes  and  locks  it.  To  one  side 
is  the  orderly  stack  of  the  several  ac 
count  books  and  packets  of  papers.) 

STARKWEATHER 

Good  morning,  Margaret.  I  sent  for  you  be 
cause  we  did  not  finish  that  talk  last  night.  Sit 
down. 

(She  gets  a  chair  for  herself  and  sits 
down.) 

You  always  were  hard  to  manage,  Margaret. 
You  have  had  too  much  will  for  a  woman.  Yet 
I  did  my  best  for  you.  Your  marriage  with 
Tom  was  especially  auspicious — a  rising  man,  of 
good  family  and  a  gentleman,  eminently  suit 
able — 


ACT  in  THEFT  155 

MARGARET 

(Interrupting  bitterly.} 

I  don't  think  you  were  considering  your 
daughter  at  all  in  the  matter.  I  know  your 
views  on  woman  and  woman's  place.  I  have 
never  counted  for  anything  with  you.  Neither 
has  mother,  nor  Connie,  when  business  was  up 
permost,  and  business  always  is  uppermost  with 
you.  I  sometimes  wonder  if  you  think  a  woman 
has  a  soul.  As  for  my  marriage — you  saw  that 
Tom  could  be  useful  to  you.  He  had  the  va 
rious  distinctive  points  you  have  mentioned. 
Better  than  that  he  was  pliable,  capable  of  being 
molded  to  perform  your  work,  to  manipulate 
machine  politics  and  procure  for  you  the  legisla 
tion  you  desired.  You  did  not  consider  what 
kind  of  a  husband  he  would  make  for  your 
daughter  whom  you  did  not  know.  But  you 
gave  your  daughter  to  him — sold  her  to  him— 
because  you  needed  him — 
(Laughs  hysterically.') 

In  your  business. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Angrily.) 

Margaret !     You  must  not  speak  that  way. 
(Relaxing.) 


156  THEFT 


ACT  III 


Ah,  you  do  not  change.  You  were  always 
that  way,  always  bent  on  having  your  will — 

MARGARET 

Would  to  God  I  had  been  more  successful 
in  having  it. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Testily.) 

This  is  all  beside  the  question.  I  sent  for 
you  to  tell  you  that  this  must  stop — this  associa 
tion  with  a  man  of  the  type  and  character  of 
Knox — a  dreamer,  a  charlatan,  a  scoundrel — 

MARGARET 
It  is  not  necessary  to  abuse  him. 

STARKWEATHER 

It  must  stop — that  is  all.  Do  you  understand  ? 
It  must  stop. 

MARGARET 

(Quietly.) 

It  has  stopped.  I  doubt  that  I  shall  ever  see 
him  again.  He  will  never  come  to  my  house 
again,  at  any  rate.  Are  you  satisfied  ? 


ACT  in  THEFT  157 

STARKWEATHER 

Perfectly.  Of  course,  you  know  I  have  never 
doubted  you — that — that  way. 

MARGARET 

(Quietly.) 

How  little  you  know  women.  In  your  com 
prehension  we  are  automatons,  puppets,  with  no 
hearts  nor  heats  of  desire  of  our  own,  with  no 
springs  of  conduct  save  those  of  the  immaculate 
and  puritanical  sort  that  New  England  crystal 
lized  a  century  or  so  ago. 

STARKWEATHER 

(  Suspiciously. ) 
You  mean  that  you  and  this  man — ? 

MARGARET 

I  mean  nothing  has  passed  between  us.  I 
mean  that  I  am  Tom's  wife  and  Tommy's 
mother.  What  I  did  mean,  you  have  no  more 
understood  than  you  understand  me — or  any 
woman. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Relieved.) 
It  is  well. 


158  THEFT  ACT  in 

MARGARET 

(  Continuing. ) 

And  it  is  so  easy.  The  concept  is  simple.  A 
woman  is  human.  That  is  all.  Yet  I  do  believe 
it  is  news  to  you. 

(Enters  DOBLEMAN  from  right  carrying 
a  check  in  his  hand.     STARKWEATHER, 
about  to  speak,  pauses.) 
( DOBLEMAN  hesitates,  and  STARKWEATHER 
nods  for  him  to  advance.) 

DOBLEMAN 

(Greeting     MARGARET,     and     addressing 

STARKWEATH  ER.  ) 

This  check.  You  said  you  would  sign  it 
yourself. 

STARKWEATHER 

Yes,  that  is  Rutland's. 
(Looks  for  pen.) 

(DOBLEMAN  offers  his  fountain  pen.) 
No ;  my  own  pen. 

(Unlocks  dispatch  box,  gets  pen,  and 
signs  check.  Leaves  dispatch  box 
open.} 

(DOBLEMAN  takes  check  and  makes  exit 
to  right.) 


ACT  in  THEFT  159 

STARKWEATHER 

(Picking  up  documents  from  top  of  pile 
in  open  box.} 

This  man  Knox.  I  studied  him  yesterday.  A 
man  of  great  energy  and  ideals.  Unfortunately, 
he  is  a  sentimentalist.  He  means  right— I  grant 
him  that.  But  he  does  not  understand  practical 
conditions.  He  is  more  dangerous  to  the  wel 
fare  of  the  United  States  than  ten  thousand 
anarchists.  And  he  is  not  practical. 
(Holding  up  documents.) 

Behold,  stolen  from  my  private  files  by  a  yel 
low  journal  sneak  thief  and  turned  over  to  him. 
He  thought  to  buttress  his  speech  with  them  this 
afternoon.  And  yet,  so  hopelessly  unpractical 
is  he,  that  you  see  they  are  already  back  in  the 
rightful  owner's  hands. 

MARGARET 
Then  his  speech  is  ruined? 

STARKWEATHER 

Absolutely.  The  wheels  are  all  ready  to  turn. 
The  good  people  of  the  United  States  will  dis 
miss  him  with  roars  of  laughter — a  good  phrase, 
that;  Hubbard's,  I  believe. 


160  THEFT  ACT  m 

(Dropping  documents  on  the  open  cover 
of  dispatch  box,  picking  up  the  pile  of 
several  account   books  and  packets  of 
papers,  and  rising.) 
One  moment.     I  must  put  these  away. 

(STARKWEATHER  goes  to  alcove  at  left 
rear.  He  presses  a  button  and  alcove 
is  lighted  by  electricity,  discovering  the 
face  of  a  large  safe.  During  the  fol- 
loiving  scene  he  does  not  look  around, 
being  occupied  with  working  the  com 
bination,  opening  the  safe,  putting  away 
account  books  and  packets  of  papers, 
and  with  examining  other  packets  which 
are  in  safe.) 

(MARGARET  looks  at  documents  lying  on 
open  cover  of  dispatch  box  and  glancing 
quickly  about  room,  takes  a  sudden  res 
olution.  She  seizes  documents, makes  as 
if  to  run  wildly  from  the  room,  stops 
abruptly  to  reconsider,  and  changes  her 
mind.  She  looks  about  room  for  a  hid 
ing  place,  and  her  eyes  rest  on  portrait 
of  Lincoln.  Moving  swiftly,  picking 
up  a  light  chair  on  the  way,  she  goes 
to  corner  of  bookcase  nearest  to  por 
trait,  steps  on  chair,  and  from  chair 
to  ledge  of  bookcase  ivhere.  clinging, 


ACT  in  THEFT  l6l 

she  reaches  out  and  up  and  drops  doc 
uments  behind  portrait.  Stepping 
quickly  down,  with  handkerchief  she 
wipes  ledge  on  which  she  has  stood,  also 
the  seat  of  the  chair.  She  carries  chair 
back  to  where  she  found  it,  and  reseats 
herself  in  chair  by  desk.} 
(STARKWEATHER  locks  safe,  emerges 
from  alcove,  turns  off  alcove  lights,  ad 
vances  to  desk  chair,  and  sits  down. 
He  is  about  to  close  and  lock  dispatch 
box  when  he  discovers  documents  are 
missing.  He  is  very  quiet  about  it, 
and  examines  contents  of  box  care- 
fully.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Quietly.) 
Has  anybody  been  in  the  room? 

MARGARET 

No. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Looking  at  her  searchingly.) 
A   most    unprecedented    thing   has    occurred. 
When  I  went  to  the  safe  a  moment  ago,  I  left 
these   documents  on  the  cover  of  the  dispatch 
ii 


162  THEFT 


ACT   III 


box.     Nobody  has  been  in   the  room  but  you. 
The  documents  are  gone.     Give  them  to  me. 

MARGARET 
I  have  not  been  out  of  the  room. 

STARKWEATHER 

I  know  that.     Give  them  to  me. 

(A  pause.) 
You  have  them.     Give  them  to  me. 

MARGARET 
I  haven't  them. 

STARKWEATHER 
That  is  a  lie.     Give  them  to  me. 

MARGARET 

(Rising.) 

I  tell  you  I  haven't  them — 

STARKWEATHER 

(Also  rising.) 
That  is  a  lie 


ACT  in  THEFT  163 

MARGARET 

(Turning  and  starting  to  cross  room.) 
Very  well,  if  you  do  not  believe  me — 

STARKWEATHER 

(Interrupting.) 
Where  are  you  going? 

MARGARET 

Home. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Imperatively.) 
No,  you  are  not.     Come  back  here. 

(MARGARET    comes    back   and   stands   by 

chair. ) 
You  shall  not  leave  this  room.     Sit  down. 

MARGARET 
I  prefer  to  stand. 

STARKWEATHER 

Sit  down. 

(She  still  stands,  and  he  grips  her  by  armf 

forcing  her  down  into  chair.) 
Sit  down.     Before  you  leave   this   room  you 
shall  return  those  documents.     This  is  more  im- 


164  THEFT  ACT  in 

portant  than  you  realize.  It  transcends  all  or 
dinary  things  of  life  as  you  have  known  it, 
and  you  will  compel  me  to  do  things  far  harsher 
than  you  can  possibly  imagine.  I  can  forget  that 
you  are  a  daughter  of  mine.  I  can  forget 
that  you  are  even  a  woman.  If  I  have  to  tear 
them  from  you,  I  shall  get  them.  Give  them  to 
me. 

(A  pause.) 
What  are  you  going  to  do? 

(MARGARET  shrugs  her  shoulders.) 
What  have  you  to  say? 

(MARGARET  again  shrugs  her  shoulders.) 
What  have  you  to  say  ? 

MARGARET 
Nothing. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Puzzled,  changing  tactics,  sitting  down, 

and  talking  calmly.) 

Let  us  talk  this  over  quietly.  You  have  no 
shred  of  right  of  any  sort  to  those  documents. 
They  are  mine.  They  were  stolen  by  a  sneak 
thief  from  my  private  files.  Only  this  morning 
—a  few  minutes  ago — did  I  get  them  back. 
They  are  mine,  I  tell  you.  They  belong  to  me. 
Give  them  back. 


ACT  HI  THEFT 


165 


MARGARET 
I  tell  you  I  haven't  them. 

STARKWEATHER 

You  have  got  them  about  you,  somewhere, 
concealed  in  your  breast  there.  It  will  not  save 
you.  I  tell  you  I  shall  have  them.  I  warn  you. 
I  don't  want  to  proceed  to  extreme  measures. 
Give  them  to  me. 

(He  starts  to  press  desk-button,  pauses, 

and  looks  at  her.) 
Well? 

(MARGARET  shrugs  her  shoulders.) 
(He  presses  button  tzvice.) 
I  have  sent   for  Dobleman.       You  have  one 
chance  before  he  comes.     Give  them  to  me. 

MARGARET 

Father,  will  you  believe  me  just  this  once? 
Let  me  go.  I  tell  you  I  haven't  the  documents. 
I  tell  you  that  if  you  let  me  leave  this  room,  I 
shall  not  carry  them  away  with  me.  I  tell  you 
this  on  my  honor.  Do  you  believe  me  ?  Tell  me 
that  you  do  believe  me. 

STARKWEATHER 
I  do  believe  you.     You  say  they  are  not  on 


Z66  THEFT  ACT  in 

you.     I  believe  you.     Now  tell  me   where  they 
are — yOU  have  them  hidden  somewhere — 

(Glancing  about  room.) 
— And  you  can  go  at  once. 

(DOBLEMAN  enters  from  right  and  ad 
vances  to  desk.  STARKWEATHER  and 
MARGARET  remains  silent.) 

DOBLEMAN 
You  rang  for  me. 

STARKWEATHER 

(With    one    last    questioning    glance    at 

MARGARET,   who  remains   impassive.) 
Yes,  I  did.     Have  you  been  in  that  other  room 
all  the  time? 

DOBLEMAN 

Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Did    anybody    pass    through    and    enter  this 

room? 

DOBLEMAN 

No,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Very  well.     We'll   see  what  the  maid  has  to 
say. 


ACT   III 


THEFT  167 


(He  presses  button  once.) 
Margaret,  I  give  you  one  last  chance. 

MARGARET 

I  have  told  you  that  if  I  leave  this  room,  I 
shall  not  take  them  with  me. 

(MAID   enters   from  right   rear   and  ad 
vances.) 

STARKWEATHER 

Has   anybody  come  into  this  room  from  the 
hall  in  the  last  few  minutes? 

MAID 
No,  sir;  not  since  Mrs.  Chalmers  came  in. 

STARKWEATHER 
How  do  you  know? 

MAID 
I  was  in  the  hall,  sir,  dusting  all  the  time. 

STARKWEATHER 

That  will  do. 

(MAID  makes  exit  to  right  rear.} 
Dobleman,  a  very  unusual  thing  has  occurred. 


i68  THEFT 


ACT   III 


Mrs.  Chalmers  and  I  have  been  alone  in  this 
room.  Those  letters  stolen  by  Gherst  had  been 
returned  to  me  by  Hubbard  but  the  moment 
before.  They  were  on  my  desk.  I  turned  my 
back  for  a  moment  to  go  to  the  safe.  When  I 
came  back  they  were  gone. 

DOBLEMAN 

(Embarrassed.) 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Mrs.  Chalmers  took  them.     She  has  them  now. 

DOBLEMAN 

(Attempts  to  speak,  stammers.) 
Er — er — yes,  sir 

STARKWEATHER 

I  want  them  back.     What  is  to  be  done? 

(DOBLEMAN   remains  in  hopeless   confu 
sion.  ) 
Well ! 

DOBLEMAN 

(Speaking  hurriedly  and  hopefully.) 
S-send   for  Mr.  Hubbard.     He  got  them  for 
you  before. 


ACT  in  THEFT  169 

STARKWEATHER 

A  good  suggestion.     Telephone  for  him.     You 
should  find  him  at  the  Press  Club. 

(DOBLEMAN  starts  to  make  exit  to  right.) 
Don't  leave  the   room.     Use  this  telephone. 
(Indicating  desk   telephone.) 
( DOBLEMAN  moves  around  to  left  of  desk 

and  uses   telephone  standing  up.) 
From  now  on  no  one  leaves  the  room.     If  my 
daughter   can   be   guilty   of   such   a  theft,   it  is 
plain  I  can  trust  no  one— no  one. 

DOBLEMAN 

(Speaking  in  transmitter.) 
Red  6-2-4.     Yes,  please. 
(Waits.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Rising.) 

Call  Senator  Chalmers  as  well.    Tell  him  to 
come  immediately. 

DOBLEMAN 
Yes,  sir — immediately. 


I/O  THEFT  ACT  in 

STARKWEATHER 

(Starting   to    cross  stage    to    center   and 

speaking  to  MARGARET.) 
Come  over  here. 

(MARGARET  follows.  She  is  obedient, 
frightened,  very  subdued — but  re 
solved.) 

Why  have  you  done  this?  Were  you  truthful 
when  you  said  there  was  nothing  between  you 
and  this  man  Knox? 

MARGARET 

Father;  don't  discuss  this  before  the — 

(Indicating   DOBLEMAN.) 
— the  servants. 

STARKWEATHER 

You  should  have  considered  that  before  you 
stole  the  documents. 

(  DOBLEMAN,  in  the  meantime ,  is  telephon 
ing  in  a  low  voice.) 

MARGARET 
There  are  certain  dignities — 


ACT  in  THEFT  171 

STARKWEATHER 

(Interrupting.) 
Not  for  a  thief. 

(Speaking  intensely  and  in  a  low  voice.) 
Margaret,  it  is  not  too  late.     Give  them  back, 
and  no  one  shall  know. 

(A  pause,  in  which  MARGARET  is  silent, 
in  the  throes  of  indecision.) 

DOBLEMAN 

Mr.  Hubbard  says  he  will  be  here  in  three 
minutes.  Fortunately,  Senator  Chalmers  is  with 
him. 

(STARKWEATHER  nods  and  looks  at  MAR 
GARET.) 

(Door  at  left  rear  opens,  and  enter  MRS. 
STARKWEATHER  and  CONNIE.  They 
are  dressed  for  the  street  and  evidently 
just  going  out.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Speaking  in  a  rush.) 

We  are  just  going  out,  Anthony.  You  were 
certainly  wrong  in  making  us  attempt  to  take 
that  2  :io  train.  I  simply  can't  make  it.  I  know 
I  can't.  It  would  have  been  much  wiser— 


172  THEFT  ACT  ni 

(Suddenly  apprehending  the  strain  of  the 
situation   between   STARKWEATHER  and 
MARGARET.) 
—Why,  what  is  the  matter? 

STARKWEATHER 

(Patently    disturbed    by    their    entrance, 
speaking  to  DOBLEMAN,  who   has  fin 
ished  with  the  telephone.) 
Lock  the  doors. 

(DOBLEMAN  proceeds  to  obey.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

Mercy  me !     Anthony !     What  has  happened  ? 

(A  pause.) 
Madge!     What  has  happened? 

STARKWEATHER 

You  will  have  to  wait  here  a  few  minutes,  that 
is   all. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

But  I  must  keep  my  engagements.       And   I 
haven't  a  minute  to  spare. 

(Looking  at  DOBLEMAN  locking  doors.) 
I  do  not  understand. 


ACT  in  THEFT  173 

STARKWEATHER 

(Grimly.) 

You   will,   shortly.     I   can  trust  no   one   any 
more.     When  my  daughter  sees  fit  to  steal — 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

Steal! — Margaret!     What  have  you  been  do 
ing  now? 

MARGARET 

Where  is  Tommy? 

(MRS.  STARKWATER  is  too  confounded  to 
answer,  and  can  only  stare  from  face  to 
face.) 
(MARGARET  looks  her  anxiety  to  Connie.) 

CONNIE 

He  is  already  down  in  the  machine  waiting 
for  us.     You  are  coming,  aren't  you? 

STARKWEATHER 

Let  him  wait  in  the  machine.     Margaret  will 
come  when  I  get  done  with  her. 

(A  knock  is  heard  at  right  rear.) 
(STARKWEATHER  looks  at  DOBLEMAN  and 
signifies  that  he  is  to  open  door.) 


174  THEFT  ACT  in 

(DOBLEMAN  unlocks  door,  and  HUBBABD 
and  CHALMERS  enter.  Beyond  the 
shortest  of  nods  and  recognitions  with 
eyes,  greetings  are  cut  short  by  the 
strain  that  is  on  all.  DOBLEMAN  re- 
locks  door.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(Plunging  into  it.) 

Look  here,  Tom.  You  know  those  letters 
Gherst  stole.  Mr.  Hubbard  recovered  them 
from  Knox  and  returned  them  to  me  this  morn 
ing.  Within  five  minutes  Margaret  stole  them 
from  me — here,  ri.^lit  in  this  room.  She  has  not 
left  the  room.  They  are  on  her  now.  I  want 
them. 

CHALMERS 

(Who   is   obviously  incapable   of   coping 
with  his  wife,  and  who  is  panting  for 
breath,  his  hand  pressed  to  his  side.) 
Madge,  is  this  true? 

MARGARET 

I  haven't  them.     I  tell  you  I  haven't  them. 
STARKWEATHER 

Where  are  they,  then? 

(She  does  not  answer.) 


ACT   III 


THEFT  175 


If  they  are  in  the  room  we  can  find  them. 
Search  the  room.  Tom,  Mr.  Hubbard,  Doble- 
man.  They  must  be  recovered  at  any  cost. 

(While  a  thorough  search  of  the  room  is 
being  made,  MRS.  STARKWEATHER, 
overcome,  has  CONNIE  assist  her  to 
seat  at  left.  MARGARET  also  seats  her 
self,  in  same  chair  at  desk.} 

CHALMERS 

(Pausing  from  search,  while  others  con 
tinue.) 

There  is  no  place  to  look  for  them.  They  are 
not  in  the  room.  Are  you  sure  you  didn't  mis 
lay  them? 

STARKWEATHER 

Nonsense.  Margaret  took  them.  They  are  a 
bulky  package  and  not  easily  hidden.  If  they 
aren't  in  the  room,  then  she  has  them  on  her. 

CHALMERS 
Madge,  give  them  up. 


176  THEFT  ACT  in 

MARGARET 

I  haven't  them. 

(CHALMERS,  stepping  suddenly  up  to  her, 
starts  feeling  for  the  papers,  running 
his  hands  over  her  dress.) 

MARGARET 

(Springing  to  her  feet  and  striking  him 
in  the  face  with  her  open  palm.) 
How  dare  you ! 

(CHALMERS  recoils,  MRS.  STARKWEATHER 
is  threatened  with  hysteria  and  is  calmed 
by  the  frightened  CONNIE,  while 
STARKWEATHER  looks  on  grimly.) 

HUBBARD 

(Giving  up  search  of  room.) 
Possibly  it  would  be  better  to  let  me  retire,  Mr. 
Starkweather. 

STARKWEATHER 

No;  those  papers  are  here  in  this  room.  If 
nobody  leaves  there  will  be  no  possible  chance 
for  the  papers  to  get  out  of  the  room.  What 
would  you  recommend  doing,  Hubbard? 


ACT  in  THEFT  177 

HUBBARD 

(Hesitatingly.) 

Under  the  circumstances  I  don't  like  to  sug 
gest— 

STARKWEATHER 
Go  on. 

HUBBARD 

First,    I    would    make    sure    that    she — er — 
Mrs.  Chalmers  has  taken  them. 

STARKWEATHER 
I  have  made  that  certain. 

CHALMERS 

But  what  motive  could  she  have  for  such  an 
act? 

( HUBBARD  looks  wise.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(To  HUBBARD.) 

You  know  more  about  this  than  would  appear. 
What  is  it? 

12 


178  THEFT  ACT  m 

HUBBARD 

I'd  rather  not.     It  is  too — 

(Looks    significantly    at    MRS.    STARK 
WEATHER  and  CONNIE.) 
— er — delicate. 

STARKWEATHER 

This  affair  has  gone  beyond  all  delicacy.  What 
is  it? 

MARGARET 

No !     No ! 

(CHALMERS  and  STARKWEATHER  look  at 
her  with  sudden  suspicion.) 

STARKWEATHER 
Go  on,  Mr.  Hubbard. 

HUBBARD 
I'd— I'd  rather  not. 


STARKWEATHER 


(Savagely.) 
I  say  go  on. 


ACT  in  THEFT  179 

HUBBARD 

(With   simulated    reluctance.) 
Last  night — I  saw — I  was  in  Knox's  rooms — 

MARGARET 

(Interrupting.) 

One  moment ;  please.  Let  him  speak,  but  first 
send  Connie  away. 

STARKWEATHER 

No  one  shall  leave  this  room  till  the  documents 
are  produced.  Margaret,  give  me  the  letters, 
and  Connie  can  leave  quietly,  and  even  will  Hub- 
bard's  lips  remain  sealed.  They  will  never 
breathe  a  word  of  whatever  shameful  thing  his 
eyes  saw.  This  I  promise  you. 

(A    pause,  wherein  he   waits  vainly   for 

MARGARET  to  make  a  decision.) 
Go  on,  Hubbard. 

MARGARET 

(Who    is    terror-stricken,    and   has    been 

wavering. ) 

No !  Don't !  I'll  tell.  I'll  give  you  back  the 
documents. 

(All   are   expectant.     She  wavers   again, 

and  steels  herself  to  resolution.) 
No ;  I  haven't  them.     Say  all  you  have  to  say. 


180  THEFT  ACT  in 

STARKWEATHER 

You  see.     She  has  them.     She  said  she  would 
give  them  back. 

(To    HUBBARD.) 

Go  on. 

HUBBARD 
Last  night — 

CONNIE 

(Springing  up.) 
I  won't  stay! 

(She  rushes  to  left  rear  and  finds  door 

locked.) 
Let  me  out !     Let  me  out ! 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Moaning  and  lying  back  in   chair,  legs 

stretched    out   and  giving   preliminary 

twitches  and  jerks  of  hysteria.) 

I  shall  die !     I  shall  die !  I  know  I  shall  die ! 

STARKWEATHER 

(Sternly,  to  CONNIE.) 
Go  back  to  your  mother. 


ACT  in  THEFT  !8i 

CONNIE 

(Returning  reluctantly  to  side   of   MRS. 
STARKWEATHER,    sitting    down    beside 
her,   and   putting  fingers  in  her   own 
ears. ) 
I  won't  listen!     I  won't  listen! 

STARKWEATHER 

(Sternly.) 
Take  your  fingers  down. 

HUBBARD 

Hang  it  all,  Chalmers,  I  wish  I  were  out  of 
this.     I  don't  want  to  testify. 

STARKWEATHER 

Take  your  fingers  down. 

(CONNIE    reluctantly   removes  her   fing 
ers.) 
Now,  Hubbard. 

HUBBARD 
I  protest.     I  am  being  dragged  into  this. 

CHALMERS 

You  can't  help  yourself  now.     You  have  cast 
black  suspicions  on  my  wife. 


THEFT  ACT  in 

HUBBARD 

All  right.  She — Mrs.  Chalmers  visited  Knox 
in  his  rooms  last  night. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Bursting  out.) 

Oh !     Oh  !     My  Madge !     It  is  a  lie !     A  lie ! 
(Kicks  violently  with  her  legs.) 
( CONNIE  soothes  her.) 

CHALMERS 

You've  got  to  prove  that,  Hubbard.  If  you 
have  made  any  mistake  it  will  go  hard  with  you. 

HUBBARD 

(Indicating   MARGARET.) 
Look  at  her.     Ask  her. 

(CHALMERS    looks    at    MARGARET    with 
growing  suspicion.) 

MARGARET 

Linda  was  with  me.  And  Tommy.  I  had  to 
see  Mr.  Knox  on  a  very  important  matter.  I 
went  there  in  the  machine.  I  took  Linda  and 
Tommy  right  into  Mr.  Knox's  room. 


ACT  in  THEFT  183 

CHALMERS 

(Relieved.) 
Ah,  that  puts  a  different  complexion  on  it. 

HUBBARD 

That  is  not  all.     Mrs.  Chalmers  sent  the  maid 
and  the  boy  down  to  the  machine  and  remained. 

MARGARET 

(Quickly.) 

But  only  for  a  moment. 

HUBBARD 

Much  longer— much,  much   longer.     I  know 
how  long  I  was  kicking  my  heels  and  waiting. 

MARGARET 

(Desperately.) 

I  say  it  was  but  for  a  moment — a  short  mo 
ment. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Abruptly,  to  HUBBARD.) 
Where  were  you? 

HUBBARD 
In  Knox's  bedroom.     The  fool  had  forgotten 


184  THEFT  ACT  in 

all  about  me.     He  was  too  delighted  with  his — 
er — new  visitor. 

STARKWEATHER 
You  said  you  saw. 

HUBBARD 

The  bedroom  door  was  ajar.     I  opened  it. 

STARKWEATHER 
What  did  you  see? 

MARGARET 

(Appealing  to  HUBBARD.) 
Have  you  no  mercy  ?     I  say  it  was  only  a  mo 
ment. 

( HUBBARD  shrugs  his  shoulders.) 

STARKWEATHER 

We'll    settle    the    length    of     that    moment. 
Tommy   is  here,   and   so   is  the  maid.     Connie, 
Margaret's  maid  is  here,  isn't  she? 
(CONNIE  does  not  answer.) 
Answer  me ! 

CONNIE 
Yes. 


ACT  in  THEFT  185 

STARKWEATHER 

Dobleman.     Ring  for  a  maid  and  tell  her  to 
fetch  Tommy  and  Mrs.  Chalmer's  maid. 

( DOBLEMAN  goes  to  desk  and  pushes  but 
ton  once.) 

MARGARET 
No !     Not  Tommy ! 

STARKWEATHER 

(Looking    shrewdly    at     MARGARET,     to 

DOBLEMAN.) 
Mrs.  Chalmer's  maid  will  do. 

(A  knock  is  heard  at  left  rear.  DOBLE 
MAN  opens  door  and  talks  to  maid. 
Closes  door.) 

STARKWEATHER 

Lock  it. 

(DOBLEMAN  locks  door.) 

CHALMERS 

(Coming  over  to  MARGARET.) 
So  you,  the  immaculate  one,  have  been  play 
ing  fast  and  loose. 


186  THEFT  ACI  m 

MARGARET 

You  have  no  right  to  talk  to  me  that  way 
Tom— 

CHALMERS 
I  am  your  husband. 

MARGARET 
You   have   long   since   ceased  being  that. 

CHALMERS 
What  do  you  mean? 

MARGARET 

I   mean   just   what   you    have   in   mind  about 
yourself  right  now. 

CHALMERS 

Madge,  you  are  merely  conjecturing.  You 
know  nothing  against  me. 

MARGARET 

I  know  everything— and  without  evidence,  if 
you  please.  I  am  a  woman.  It  is  your  atmos 
phere.  Faugh !  You  have  exhaled  it  for  years. 
I  doubt  not  that  proofs,  as  you  would  call  them, 


ACT  III 


THEFT  187 


could  have  been  easily  obtained.  But  I  was 
not  interested.  I  had  my  boy.  When  he  came, 
I  gave  you  up,  Tom.  You  did  not  seem  to  need 
me  any  more. 

CHALMERS 

And  so,  in  retaliation,  you  took  up  with  this 
fellow  Knox. 

MARGARET 

No,  no.  It  is  not  true,  Tom.  I  tell  you  it  is 
not  true. 

CHALMERS 

You  were  there,  last  night,  in  his  rooms,  alone 
— how  long  we  shall  soon  find  out — 

(Knock  is  heard  at  left  rear.     DOBLEMAN 

proceeds  to  unlock  door.} 
And  now  you  have  stolen  your  father's  pri 
vate  papers  for  your  lover. 

MARGARET 
He  is  not  my  lover. 

CHALMERS 

But  you  have  acknowledged  that  you  have 
the  papers.  For  whom,  save  Knox,  could  you 
have  stolen  them? 


188  THEFT 


ACT   III 


( LINDA  enters.  She  is  white  and  strained, 
and  looks  at  MARGARET  for  some  cue  as 
to  what  she  is  to  do.) 

STARKWEATHER 

That  is  the  woman. 

(To  LINDA.) 
Come  here. 

( LINDA  advances  reluctantly.) 
Where  were  you  last  night?    You  know  what 
I  mean. 

(She  does  not  speak.) 
Answer  me. 

LINDA 
I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  sir — unless — 

STARKWEATHER 
Yes,  that's  it.      Go  on. 

LINDA 

But  I  don't  think  you  have  any  right  to  ask 
me  such  questions.  What  if  I — if  I  did  go  out 
with  my  young  man — 


ACT  in  THEFT  189 

STARKWEATHER 

(To   MARGARET.) 
A  very  faithful  young  woman  you've  got. 

(Briskly,  to  the   others.) 
There's  nothing  to  be  got  out  of  her.     Send 
for  Tommy.     Dobleman,  ring  the  bell. 

(DOBLEMAN  starts  to  obey.) 

MARGARET 

(Stopping  DOBLEMAN.) 
No,  no ;  not  Tommy.     Tell  them,  Linda. 

(LINDA  looks  appealingly  at  her.) 

(Kindly.) 
Don't  mind  me.     Tell  them  the  truth. 

CHALMERS 

(Breaking  in.) 
The  whole  truth. 

MARGARET 

Yes,  Linda,  the  whole  truth. 

(LINDA,  looking  very  woeful,  nerves  her 
self  for  the  ordeal.) 

STARKWEATHER 

Never  mind,  Dobleman. 
(To  LINDA.) 


190  THEFT  ACT  in 

Very  well.     You  were  at  Mr.  Knox's  rooms 
last  night,  with  your  mistress  and  Tommy. 

LINDA 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Your  mistress  sent   you  and  Tommy   out  of 
the  room. 

LINDA 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

You  waited  in  the  machine. 

LINDA 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Abruptly  springing  the  point  he  has  been 

working  up  to.) 
How  long? 

( LINDA  perceives  the  gist  of  the  question 
ing  just  as  she  is  opening  her  mouth  to 
reply,  and  she  does  not  speak.) 

MARGARET 

(With  deliberate  calmness  of  despair.) 
Half  an  hour — an  hour — any  length  of  time 


ACT  in  THEFT  191 

your   shameful   minds   dictate.        That   will   do, 
Linda.     You  can  go. 

STARKWEATHER 

No  you  don't.     Stand  over  there  to  one  side. 

(To  the  others.} 

The  papers  are  in  this  room,  and  I  shall  keep 
my  mind  certain  on  that  point. 

HUBBARD 

I  think  I  have  shown  the  motive. 

CONNIE 
You  are  a  beast! 

CHALMERS 
You  haven't  told  what  you  saw. 

HUBBARD 

I  saw  them  in  each  other's  arms— several 
times.  Then  I  found  the  stolen  documents 
where  Knox  had  thrown  them  down.  So  I 
pocketed  them  and  closed  the  door. 

CHALMERS 
How  long  after  that  did  they  remain  together  ? 


192  THEFT  ACT  in 

HUBBARD 

Quite  a  time,  quite  a  long  time. 

CHALMERS 
And  when  you  last  saw  them? 

HUBBARD 

They  were  in  each  other's  arms — quite  enthu 
siastically,  I  may  say,  in  each  other's  arms. 
(CHALMERS  is  crushed.) 

MARGARET 

(To  HUBBARD.) 
You  coward. 

( HUBBARD  smiles.) 

(To   STARKWEATHER.) 

When  are  you  going  to  call  off  this  hound 
of  yours? 

STARKWEATHER 

When  I  get  the  papers.  You  see  what  you've 
been  made  to  pay  for  them  already.  Now  listen 
to  me  closely.  Tom,  you  listen,  too.  You  know 
the  value  of  these  letters.  If  they  are  not  re 
covered  they  will  precipitate  a  turn-over  that 
means  not  merely  money  but  control  and  power. 


ACT  in  THEFT 


193 


I  doubt  that  even  you  would  be  re-elected.  So 
what  we  have  heard  in  this  room  must  be  for 
gotten — absolutely  forgotten.  Do  you  under 
stand? 

CHALMERS 

But  it  is   adultery. 

STARKWEATHER 

It  is  not  necessary  for  that  word  to  be  men 
tioned.  The  point  is  that  everything  must  be  as 
it  was  formerly. 

CHALMERS 

Yes,  I  understand. 

(To  MARGARET.) 

You  hear.  Tom  will  make  no  trouble.  Now 
give  me  the  papers.  They  are  mine,  you  know. 

MARGARET 

It  seems  to  me  the  people,  who  have  been 
lied  to,  and  cajoled,  and  stolen  from,  are  the 
rightful  owners,  not  you. 

STARKWEATHER 

Are  you  doing  this  out  of  love  for  this — this 
man,  this  demagogue? 
13 


IO/4  THEFT  ACT  in 

MARGARET 
For  the  people,  the  children,  the  future. 

STARKWEATHER 
Faugh!     Answer  me. 

MARGARET 
(Slowly.) 

Almost  I  do  not  know.  Almost  I  do  not 
know. 

(A  knock  is  heard  at  left  rear.  DOBLE- 
MAN  answers.) 

DOBLEMAN 

(Looking  at  card  MAID  has  given  him, 

to  STARKWEATHER.) 
Mr.  Rutland. 

(Making  an  impatient  gesture,  then  ab 
ruptly  changing  his  mind,  speaking 
grimly.) 

Very  well.  Bring  him  in.  I've  paid  a  lot  for 
the  Church,  now  we'll  see  what  the  Church  can 
do  for  me. 

CONNIE 

(Impulsively  crossing  stage  to  MAR 
GARET,  putting  arms  around  her,  and 
weeping.) 


ACT  in  THEFT  195 

Pleacse,  please,  Madge,  give  up  the  papers,  and 
everything  will  be  hushed  up.  You  heard  what 
father  said.  Think  what  it  means  to  me  if  this 
scandal  comes  out.  Father  will  hush  it  up. 
Not  a  soul  will  dare  to  breathe  a  word  of  it. 
Give  him  the  papers. 

MARGARET 

(Kissing  her,  shaking  head,  and  setting 

her  aside.) 
No;  I  can't.     But  Connie,  dearest — 

(CONNIE  pauses.) 

It  is  not  true,  Connie.  He — he  is  not  my 
lover.  Tell  me  that  you  believe  me. 

CONNIE 

(Caressing  her.) 

I  do  believe  you.  But  won't  you  return  the 
papers — for  my  sake? 

(A  knock  at  door.) 

MARGARET 
I  can't. 

(Enter  RUTLAND.) 

(CONNIE  returns   to    take  care   of   MRS. 
STARKWEATHER.  ) 


196  THEFT 


ACT  III 


RUTLAND 

(Advances  beamingly  upon  STARK 
WEATHER.) 

My,  what  a  family  gathering.  I  hastened  on  at 
once,  my  dear  Mr.  Starkweather,  to  thank  you 
in  person,  ere  you  fled  away  to  New  York,  for 
your  generously  splendid — yes,  generously  splen 
did — contribution — 

(Here  the  strained  situation  dawns  upon 
him,  and  he  remains  helplessly  with 
mouth  open,  looking  from  one  to  an 
other.) 

STARKWEATHER 

A  theft  has  been  committed,  Mr.  Rutland. 
My  daughter  has  stolen  something  very  valu 
able  from  me — a  package  of  private  papers,  so 
important — well,  if  she  succeeds  in  making  them 
public  I  shall  be  injured  to  such  an  extent  finan 
cially  that  there  won't  be  any  more  generously 
splendid  donations  for  you  or  anybody  else.  I 
have  done  my  best  to  persuade  her  to  return 
what  she  has  stolen.  Now  you  try.  Bring  her 
to  a  realization  of  the  madness  of  what  she  is 
doing. 

RUTLAND 

(Quite  at  sea,  hemming  and  hawing.) 
As  your  spiritual  adviser,  Mrs.  Chalmers — if 


y*  THF  \ 

UNfVERSITY    I 
of  J 

$^ 

ACT  in  THEFT  197 

this  be  true — I  recommend — I  suggest — I — ahem 
— I  entreat — 

MARGARET 

Please,  Mr.  Rutland,  don't  be  ridiculous. 
Father  is  only  making  a  stalking  horse  out  of 
you.  Whatever  I  may  have  done,  or  not  done,  I 
believe  I  am  doing  right.  The  whole  thing  is  in 
famous.  The  people  have  been  lied  to  and  robbed, 
and  you  are  merely  lending  yourself  to  the 
infamy  of  perpetuating  the  lying  and  the  rob 
bing.  If  you  persist  in  obeying  my  father's  or 
ders — yes,  orders — you  will  lead  me  to  believe 
that  you  are  actuated  by  desire  for  more  of  those 
generously  splendid  donations. 
(STARKWEATHER  sneers.) 

RUTLAND 

(Embarrassed,  hopelessly  at  sea.) 
This  is,  I  fear — ahem — too  delicate  a  matter, 
Mr.  Starkweather,  for  me  to  interfere.     I  would 
suggest  that  it  be  advisable  for  me  to  withdraw 
— ahem — 

STARKWEATHER 

(Musingly.) 
So  the  Church  fails  me,  too. 

(To  RUTLAND.) 
No,  you  shall  stay  right  here. 


198  THEFT  ACT  in 

MARGARET 

Father,  Tommy  is  down  in  the  machine  alone. 
Won't  you  let  me  go  ? 

STARKWEATHER 
Give  me  the  papers. 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER  rises  and  totters 
across  to  MARGARET,  moaning  and 
whimpering.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

Madge,  Madge,  it  can't  be  true.  I  don't  be 
lieve  it.  I  know  you  have  not  done  this  awful 
thing.  No  daughter  of  mine  could  be  guilty  of 
such  wickedness.  I  refuse  to  believe  my  ears — 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER  sinks  suddenly  on 
•her  knees  before  MARGARET,  with 
clasped  hands,  weeping  hysterically.) 


(Stepping  to  her  side.) 
Get  up. 

(Hesitates  and  thinks.) 
No;  go  on.     She  might  listen  to  you. 


ACT  in  THEFT  199 

MARGARET 

(Attempting  to  raise  her  mother.) 
Don't,  mother,  don't.     Please  get  up. 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER  resists  her  hyster 
ically.  ) 

You  don't  understand,  mother.     Please,  please, 
get  up. 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

Madge,  I,  your  mother,  implore  you,  on  my 
bended  knees.  Give  up  the  papers  to  your 
father,  and  I  shall  forget  all  I  have  heard. 
Think  of  the  family  name.  I  don't  believe  it,  not 
a  word  of  it;  but  think  of  the  shame  and  dis 
grace.  Think  of  me.  Think  of  Connie,  your 
sister.  Think  of  Tommy.  You'll  have  your 
father  in  a  terrible  state.  And  you'll  kill  me. 
(Moaning  and  rolling  her  head.) 

I'm  going  to  be  sick.     I  know  I  am  going  to 
be  sick. 

MARGARET 

(Bending  over  mother  and  raising  her, 
while  CONNIE  comes  across  stage  to 
help  support  mother.) 

Mother,  you  do  not  understand.     More  is  at 
stake  than  the  good  name  of  the  family  or — 
(Looking  at  RUTLAND.) 


20O  THEFT  ACT  m 

— God.  You  speak  of  Connie  and  Tommy. 
There  are  two  millions  of  Connies  and  Tommys 
working  as  child  laborers  in  the  United  States 
to-day.  Think  of  them.  And  besides,  mother, 
these  are  all  lies  you  have  heard.  There  is  noth 
ing  between  Mr.  Knox  and  me.  He  is  not  my 
lover.  I  am  not  the — the  shameful  thing — these 
men  have  said  I  am. 

CONNIE 

(Appealingly.) 
Madge. 

MARGARET 

(Appealingly.) 

Connie.  Trust  me.  I  am  right.  I  know  I 
am  right. 

(MRS.  STARKWEATHER,  supported  by 
CONNIE,  moaning  incoherently,  is  led 
back  across  stage  to  chair.) 

STARKWEATHER 

Margaret,  a  few  minutes  ago,  when  you  told 
me  there  was  nothing  between  you  and  this  man, 
you  lied  to  me — lied  to  me  as  only  a  wicked 
woman  can  lie. 


ACT  m  THEFT  2OI 

MARGARET 

It  is  clear  that  you  believe  the  worst 
STARKWEATHER 

There  is  nothing  less  than  the  worst  to  be  be 
lieved.  Besides,  more  heinous  than  your  relations 
with  this  man  is  what  you  have  done  here  in 
this  room,  stolen  from  me,  and  practically  be 
fore  my  very  eyes.  Well,  you  have  crossed  your 
will  with  mine,  and  in  affairs  beyond  your  prov 
ince.  This  is  a  man's  game  in  which  you  are 
attempting  to  play,  and  you  shall  take  the  conse 
quences.  Tom  will  apply  for  a  divorce. 

MARGARET 
That  threat,  at  least,  is  without  power. 

STARKWEATHER 

And  by  that  means  we  can  break  Knox  as 
effectually  as  by  any  other.  That  is  one  thing  the 
good  stupid  people  will  not  tolerate  in  a  chosen 
representative.  We  will  make  such  a  scandal  of 

it— 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Shocked.) 
Anthony ! 


202  THEFT 


ACT   III 


STARKWEATHER 

(Glancing  irritably  at  his  wife  and  con 
tinuing.  ) 

Another  thing.  Being  proven  an  adulterous 
woman,  morally  unfit  for  companionship  with 
your  child,  your  child  will  be  taken  away  from 
you. 

MARGARET 

No,  no.  That  cannot  be.  I  have  done  noth 
ing  wrong.  No  court,  no  fair-minded  judge, 
would  so  decree  on  the  evidence  of  a  creature 
like  that. 

(Indicating  HUBBARD.) 

HUBBARD 

My  evidence  is  supported.  In  an  adjoining 
room  were  two  men.  I  happen  to  know,  because 
I  placed  them  there.  They  were  your  father's 
men  at  that.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  seeing 
through  a  locked  door.  They  saw. 

MARGARET 
And  they  would  swear  to — to  anything. 

HUBBARD 
I  doubt  not  they  will  know  to  what  to  swear. 


ACT  in  THEFT  203 

STARKWEATHER 

Margaret,  I  have  told  you  some,  merely  some, 
of  the  things  I  shall  do.  It  is  not  too  late. 
Return  the  papers,  and  everything  will  be 
forgotten. 

MARGARET 

You  would  condone  this — this  adultery.  You, 
who  have  just  said  that  I  was  morally  unfit  to 
have  my  own  boy,  will  permit  me  to  retain  him. 
I  had  never  dreamed,  father,  that  your  own  im 
morality  would  descend  to  such  vile  depths. 
Believing  this  shameful  thing  of  me,  you  will 
forgive  and  forget  it  all  for  the  sake  of  a  few 
scraps  of  paper  that  stand  for  money,  that  stand 
for  a  license  to  rob  and  steal  from  the  people.  Is 
this  your  morality — money? 

STARKWEATHER 

I  have  my  morality.  It  is  not  money.  I  am 
only  a  steward ;  but  so  highly  do  I  conceive  the 
duties  of  my  stewardship — 

MARGARET 

(Interrupting,  bitterly.) 

The  thefts  and  lies  and  all  common  little  sins 
like  adulteries  are  not  to  stand  in  the  way  of 


204  THEFT  ACT  in 

your    high    duties— that    the    end    hallows    the 
means. 

STARKWEATHER 
(Shortly.) 
Precisely. 

MARGARET 

(To  RUTLAND.) 

There  is  Jesuitism,  Mr.  Rutland.  I  would 
suggest  that  you,  as  my  father's  spiritual  ad 
viser — 

STARKWEATHER 
Enough  of  this  foolery.     Give  me  the  papers. 

MARGARET 
I  haven't  them. 

STARKWEATHER 
What's  to  be  done,   Hubbard? 

HUBBARD 

She  has  them.  She  has  as  much  as  acknowl 
edged  that  they  are  not  elsewhere  in  the 
room.  She  has  not  been  out  of  the  room. 
There  is  nothing  to  do  but  search  her. 


ACT  in  THEFT  205 

STARKWEATHER 

Nothing  else  remains  to  be  done.  Dobleman, 
and  you,  Hubbard,  take  her  behind  the  screen. 
Strip  her.  Recover  the  papers. 

(  DOBLEMAN    is   in   a   proper   funk,    but 
HUBBARD  betrays  no  unwillingness.) 

CHALMERS 

No;  that  I  shall  not  permit.  Hubbard  shall 
have  nothing  to  do  with  this. 

MARGARET 

It  is  too  late,  Tom.  You  have  stood  by  and 
allowed  me  to  be  stripped  of  everything 
else.  A  few  clothes  do  not  matter  now.  If  I 
am  to  be  stripped  and  searched  by  men,  Mr. 
Hubbard  will  serve  as  well  as  any  other  man. 
Perhaps  Mr.  Rutland  would  like  to  lend  his 
assistance. 

CONNIE 

Oh,  Madge!     Give  them  up. 

(MARGARET  shakes  her  head.) 

(To  STARKWEATHER.) 
Then  let  me  search  her,  father. 


206  THEFT  ACT  in 

STARKWEATHER 

You  are  too  willing.  I  don't  want  volunteers. 
I  doubt  that  I  can  trust  you  any  more  than  your 
sister. 

CONNIE 

Let  mother,  then. 

STARKWEATHER 

(Sneering.} 

Margaret  could  smuggle  a  steamer-trunk  of 
documents  past  her. 

CONNIE 

But  not  the  men,  father!     Not  the  men! 

STARKWEATHER 

Why  not?  She  has  shown  herself  dead  to  all 
shame. 

(Imperatively.) 
Dobleman ! 

DOBLEMAN 

(Thinking  his  time  has  come,  and  almost 

dying.) 
Y-y-yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Call  in  the  servants. 


ACT  m  THEFT  207 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Crying  out  in  protest.) 
Anthony ! 

STARKWEATHER 

Would  you  prefer  her  to  be  searched  by  the 
men? 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Subsiding.) 
I  shall  die,  I  shall  die.     I  know  I  shall  die. 

STARKWEATHER 

Dobleman.     Ring  for  the  servants. 

(DOBLEMAN,     who     has     been     hesitant, 
crosses  to  desk  and  pushes  button,  then 
returns  toward  door.) 
Send  in  the  maids  and  the  housekeeper. 

( LINDA,  blindly  desiring  to  be  of  some  as 
sistance,  starts  impulsively  toward  MAR 
GARET.) 
Stand  over  there — in  the  corner. 

(Indicating  right  front.) 

(  LINDA  pauses  irresolutely  and  MAR 
GARET  nods  to  her  to  obey  and  smiles 
encouragement.  LINDA,  protesting  in 
every  -fiber  of  her,  goes  to  right  front.) 

(A   knock  at  right  rear  and  DOBLEMAN 


208  THEFT 


ACT  III 


unlocks  door,  confers  with  maid,  and 
closes  and  locks  door.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(To  MARGARET.) 

This  is  no  time  for  trifling,  nor  for  mawkish 
sentimentality.  Return  the  papers  or  take  the 
consequences. 

(MARGARET  makes  no  answer.) 

CHALMERS 

You  have  taken  a  hand  in  a  man's  game,  and 
you've  got  to  play  it  out  or  quit.  Give  up  the 
papers. 

(MARGARET  remains  resolved  and  impas 
sive.  ) 

HUBBARD 

(Suavely.) 

Allow  me  to  point  out,  my  dear  Mrs.  Chal 
mers,  that  you  are  not  merely  stealing  from  your 
father.  You  are  playing  the  traitor  to  your 
class. 

STARKWEATHER 
And  causing  irreparable  damage. 


ACT  in  THEFT  209 

MARGARET 

(Firing  up  suddenly  and  pointing  to  Lin 
coln's  portrait.) 

I  doubt  not  he  caused  irreparable  damage 
when  he  freed  the  slaves  and  preserved  the 
Union.  Yet  he  recognized  no  classes.  I'd 
rather  be  a  traitor  to  my  class  than  to  him. 

STARKWEATHER 

Demagoguery.     Demagoguery. 

(A  knock  at  right  rear.  DOBLEMAN 
opens  door.  Enter  MRS.  MIDDLETON 
who  is  the  housekeeper,  followed  by 
two  HOUSEMAIDS.  They  pause  at  rear. 
HOUSEKEEPER  to  the  fore  and  looking 
expectantly  at  STARKWEATHER.  The 
MAIDS  appear  timid  and  frightened.) 

HOUSEKEEPER 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 

Mrs.  Middleton,  you  have  the  two  maids  to  as 
sist  you.  Take  Mrs.  Chalmers  behind  that 
screen  there  and  search  her.  Strip  all  her 
clothes  from  her  and  make  a  careful  search. 

(MAIDS  show  perturbation.) 
14 


210  THEFT  ACT  m 

HOUSEKEEPER 

(Self-possessed.) 
Yes,  sir.     What  am  I  to  search  for? 

STARKWEATHER 

Papers,   documents,   anything  unusual.     Turn 
them  over  to  me  when  you  find  them. 

MARGARET 

(In  a  sudden  panic.) 
This  is  monstrous!     This  is  monstrous! 

STARKWEATHER 
So  is  your  theft  of  the  documents  monstrous. 

MARGARET 

(Appealing  to  the  other  men,  ignoring 
RUTLAND  and  not  considering  DOBLE- 
MAN  at  all.) 

You  cowards !  Will  you  stand  by  and  permit 
this  thing-  to  be  clone  ?  Tom,  have  you  one  atom 
of  manhood  in  you? 

CHALMERS 
(Doggedly.) 

Return  the  papers,  then. 


ACT  HI  THEFT  211 

MARGARET 
Mr.  Rutland— 

RUTLAND 

(Very  awkwardly  and  oilily.) 

My  dear   Mrs.   Chalmers.     I   assure  you   the 

whole  circumstance  is  unfortunate.     But  you  are 

so  palpably  in  the  wrong  that  I  cannot  interfere — 

(MARGARET  turns  from  him  in  withering 

scorn.) 
— That  I  cannot  interfere. 

DOBLEMAN 

(Breaking  down  unexpectedly.) 
I  cannot  stand  it.     I  leave  your  employ,  sir. 
It   is    outrageous.     I    resign    now,    at   once.     I 
cannot  be  a  party  to  this. 

(Striving  to  unlock  door.) 
I    am    going    at    once.     You    brutes!     You 
brutes ! 

(Breaks   into   convulsive   sobbings.) 

CHALMERS 

Ah,  another  lover,  I  see. 

( DOBLEMAN  manages  to  unlock  door  and 
starts  to  open  it.) 


212  THEFT  ACT  In 

STARKWEATHER 

You  fool!     Shut  that  door! 
(DOBLEMAN  hesitates.) 
Shut  it! 

( DOBLEMAN  obeys.) 
Lock  it! 

(DOBLEMAN  obeys.) 

MARGARET 

(Smiling  wistfully,   bcnignantly.) 
Thank  you,  Mr.  Dobleman. 
(To  STARKWEATHER.) 

Father,    you    surely    will   not   perpetrate    this 
outrage,  when  I  tell  you,  I  swear  to  you— 

STARKWEATHER 

(Interrupting.) 
Return  the  documents  then. 

MARGARET 

I   swear   to   you   that    I  haven't   them.     You 
will  not  find  them  on  me. 

STARKWEATHER 
You  have  lied  to  me  about  Knox,  and  I  have 


ACT  ni  THEFT 


213 


no  reason  to  believe  you  will  not  lie  to  me  about 
this  matter. 

MARGARET 
(Steadily.) 

If  you  do  this  thing  you  shall  cease  to  be  my 
father  forever.  You  shall  cease  to  exist  so 
far  as  I  am  concerned. 

STARKWEATHER 

You  have  too  much  of  my  own  will  in  you 
for  you  ever  to  forget  whence  it  came.  Mrs. 
Middleton,  go  ahead. 

(HOUSEKEEPER,  summoning  MAIDS  with 
her  eyes,  begins  to  advance  on  MAR 
GARET.) 

CONNIE 
(In  a  passion.) 

Father,  if  you  do  this  I  shall  never  speak  to 
you  again. 

(Breaks  down  weeping.) 
(MRS.  STARKWEATHER,  during  following 
scene,  has  mild  but  continuous  shudder- 
ing  and  weeping  hysteria.) 

STARKWEATHER 
(Briskly,  looking  at  watch.) 
I've  wasted  enough  time  on  this.     Mrs.  Mid 
dleton,  proceed. 


214 


THEFT  ACT  in 


MARGARET 


(Wildly,  backing  away  from  HOUSE 
KEEPER.) 

I    will    not   tamely    submit.     I    will   resist,    I 
promise  you. 

STARKWEATHER 

Use  force,  if  necessary. 

(The  MAIDS  are  reluctant,  but  HOUSE 
KEEPER  commands  them  with  her  eyes 
to  close  in  on  MARGARET,  and  they 
obey.} 

(MARGARET  backs  away  until  she  brings 
up  against  desk.) 

HOUSEKEEPER 

Come,  Mrs.  Chalmers. 

(MARGARET  stands  trembling,  but  refuses 
to  notice  HOUSEKEEPER.) 

(HOUSEKEEPER  places  hand  on  MAR 
GARET'S  arm.) 

MARGARET 

(Violently  Hinging  the  hand  off,  crying 

imperiously. ) 
Stand  back! 

(HOUSEKEEPER  instinctively  shrinks  back, 


ACT  m  THEFT  215 

as  do  MAIDS.  But  it  is  only  for  the 
moment.  They  close  in  upon  MAR 
GARET  to  seize  her.) 

(Crying  frantically  for  help.) 
Linda !     Linda ! 

(  LINDA  springs  forward  to  help  her  mis 
tress,  but  is  caught  and  held  struggling 
by  CHALMERS,  who  twists  her  arm  and 
finally  compels  her  to  become  quiet.) 

(MARGARET,  struggling  and  resisting,  is 
hustled  across  stage  and  behind  screen, 
the  MAIDS  warming  up  to  their  work. 
One  of  them  emerges  from  behind 
screen  for  the  purpose  of  getting  a 
chair,  upon  which  MARGARET  is  evi 
dently  forced  to  sit.  The  screen  is  of 
such  height,  that  occasionally,  when 
standing  up  and  struggling,  MARGAR 
ET'S  bare  arms  are  -visible  above  the 
top  of  it.  Muttered  exclamations  are 
heard,  and  the  voice  of  HOUSEKEEPER 
trying  to  persuade  MARGARET  to  sub 
mit.) 

MARGARET 

(Abruptly,  piteously.) 
No !     No ! 

(The  struggle  becomes  more  violent,  and 


2l6  THEFT  ACT  in 

the  screen  is  overturned,  disclos 
ing  MARGARET  seated  on  chair,  partly 
undressed,  and  clutching  an  envelope 
in  her  hand  which  they  are  trying  to 
force  her  to  relinquish.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Crying  wildly.) 
Anthony!     They  are  taking  her  clothes  off! 

(Renewed  struggle  of  LINDA  with  CHAL 
MERS  at  the  sight.) 

(STARKWEATHER,  calling  RUTLAND  to  his 
assistance,  stands  screen  up  again,  then, 
as  an  afterthought,  pulls  screen  a  little 
further  away  from  MARGARET.) 

MARGARET 

No!    No! 

(HOUSEKEEPER  appears  triumphantly  with 
envelope  in  her  hand  and  hands  it  to 

HUBBARD.) 

HUBBARD 

(Immediately.) 
That's  not  it 

(Glances  at  address  and  starts.) 
It's  addressed  to  Knox. 


ACT  in  THEFT  217 

STARKWEATHER 

Tear   it    open.     Read    it. 

(HUBBARD  tears  envelope  open.) 
(While  this  is  going  on,  struggle  behind 
screen  is  suspended.) 

HUBBARD 

(Withdrawing   contents   of   envelope.) 
It  is  only  a  photograph— of  Mrs.  Chalmers. 

(Reading.) 
"For  the  future— Margaret." 

CHALMERS 

(Thrusting  LINDA  back  to  right  front  and 

striding  up  to  HUBBARD.) 
Give  it  to  me. 

( HUBBARD  passes  it  to  him,  and  he  looks 
at  it,  crumples  it  in  his  hand,  and  grinds 
it  under  foot.) 

STARKWEATHER 

That  is  not  what  we  wanted,  Mrs.  Middleton. 
Go  on  with  the  search. 

(The  search  goes  on  behind  the  screen 

without   any    further   struggling.) 
(A  pause,  during  which  screen  is  occa- 


218  THEFT 


ACT   III 


sionally  agitated    by   the  searchers   re 
moving  MARGARET'S  garments.) 

HOUSEKEEPER 

Appearing  around  corner  of  screen.) 
I  find  nothing  else,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 
Is  she  stripped? 

HOUSEKEEPER 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 
Every  stitch? 

HOUSEKEEPER 

(Disappearing  behind  screen  instead   of 
answering  for  a  pause,  during  which  it 
is  patent  that  the  ultimate  stitch  is  being 
removed,  then  reappearing.) 
Yes,  sir. 

STARKWEATHER 
Nothing  ? 

HOUSEKEEPER 
Nothing. 

STARKWEATHER 
Throw  out  her  clothes — everything. 


ACT  in  THEFT 


219 


(A  confused  mass  of  feminine  apparel  is 
tossed  out,  falling  near  DOBLEMAN'S 
feet,  who,  in  consequence,  is  hugely 
mortified  and  embarrassed.) 

(CHALMERS  examines  garments,  then 
steps  behind  screen  a  moment,  and  re 
appears.  ) 

CHALMERS 
Nothing. 

(CHALMERS,  STARKWEATHER,  and  HUB- 
BARD  gaze  at  each  other  dumbfound- 
edly.) 

(The  two  MAIDS  come  out  from  behind 
screen  and  stand  near  door  to  right 
rear.) 

(STARKWEATHER  is  loath  to  believe,  and 
steps  to  MARGARET'S  garments  and  over 
hauls  them.} 

STARKWEATHER 

(To      CHALMERS,      looking     inquiringly 

toward  screen.) 
Are  you  sure? 

CHALMERS 
Yes ;  I  made  certain.     She  hasn't  them. 


220  THEFT  ACT  in 

STARKWEATHER 

(To  HOUSEKEEPER.) 
Mrs.  Middleton,  examine  those  girls. 

HOUSEKEEPER 

(Passing   hands  over  dresses  of  MAIDS.) 
No,  sir. 

MARGARET 

(From  behind  screen,  in  a  subdued,  spirit 
less  voice.) 
May  I  dress — now? 

(Nobody  answers.) 
It — it  is  quite  chilly. 

(Nobody  answers.) 
Will  you  let  Linda  come  to  me,  please? 

(  STARKWEATHER  nods  savagely  to  LINDA, 

to  obey.) 

( LINDA  crosses  to  garments,  gathers  them 
up,  and  disappears  behind  screen.) 

STARKWEATHER 

(To  HOUSEKEEPER.) 
You  may  go. 

(Exit  HOUSEKEEPER  and  the  two  MAIDS.) 


ACT  in  THEFT  221 

DOBLEMAN 

(Hesitating,  after  closing  door.) 
Shall  I  lock  it? 

(STARKWEATHER   does   not   answer,   and 
DOBLEMAN  leaves  door  unlocked.) 

CONNIE 
(Rising.) 

May  I  take  mother  away? 

(STARKWEATHER,    who    is    in    a    brown 

study,  nods.) 
(CONNIE  assists  MRS.  STARKWEATHER  to 

her  feet.) 

MRS.  STARKWEATHER 

(Staggering  weakly,  and  sinking  back  into 

chair.) 

Let  me  rest  a  moment,  Connie.     I'll  be  better. 
(To   STARKWEATHER,  who  takes  no  no 
tice.) 

Anthony,  I  am  going  to  bed.  This  has  been 
too  much  for  me.  I  shall  be  sick.  I  shall 
never  catch  that  train  to-day. 

(Shudders  and  sighs,  leans  head  back, 
closes  eyes,  and  CONNIE  fans  her  or 
administers  smelling  salts.) 


222  THEFT  ACT  III 

CHALMERS 

(To  HUBBARD.) 
What's  to  be  done? 

HUBBARD 

(Shrugging  shoulders.) 

I'm  all  at  sea.  I  had  just  left  the  letters  with 
him,  when  Mrs.  Chalmers  entered  the  room. 
What's  become  of  them  ?  She  hasn't  them,  that's 
certain. 

CHALMERS 

But  why?     Why  should  she  have  taken  them? 
HUBBARD 

(Dryly,  pointing  to  crumpled  photograph 

on  floor.) 
It  seems  very  clear  to  me. 

CHALMERS 

You  think  so?     You  think  so? 
HUBBARD 

I  told  you  what  I  saw  last  night  at  his  rooms. 
There   is   no  other   explanation. 


ACT  in  THEFT  223 

CHALMERS 

(Angrily.) 

And  that's  the  sort  he  is — vaunting  his  moral 
superiority — mouthing  phrases  about  theft — our 
theft — and  himself  the  greatest  thief  of  all,  steal 
ing  the  dearest  and  sacredest  things— 

(MARGARET  appears  from  behind  screen, 
pinning  on  her  hat.  She  is  dressed, 
but  somewhat  in  disarray,  and  LINDA 
follows,  pulling  and  touching  and  ar 
ranging.  MARGARET  pauses  near  to 
RUTLAND,  but  does  not  seem  to  see 
him. ) 

RUTLAND 
(Lamely.) 

It  is  a  sad  happening — ahem — a  sad  happen 
ing.  I  am  grieved,  deeply  grieved.  I  cannot 
tell  you,  Mrs.  Chalmers,  how  grieved  I  am  to 
have  been  compelled  to  be  present  at  this — ahem 
— this  unfortunate — 

(MARGARET  withers  him  with  a  look  and 
he  awkwardly  ceases.) 

MARGARET 

After  this,  father,  there  is  one  thing  I  shall 
do— 


224  THEFT  ACT  m 

CHALMERS 

(Interrupting.) 
Go  to  your  lover,  I  suppose. 

MARGARET 
(Coldly.) 
Have  it  that  way  if  you  choose. 

CHALMERS 

And  take  him  what  you  have  stolen — 
STARKWEATHER 

(Arousing  suddenly  from  brown  study.) 
But  she  hasn't  them  on  her.     She  hasn't  been 
out  of  the  room.     They   are  not   in   the   room. 
Then  where  are  they  ? 

(During  the  following,  MARGARET  goes 
to  the  door,  which  DOBLEMAN  opens. 
She  forces  LINDA  to  go  out  and  herself 
pauses  in  open  door  to  listen.) 

HUBBARD 

(Uttering  an  exclamation  of  enlighten 
ment,  going  rapidly  across  to  window 
at  left  and  raising  it.) 

It  is  not  locked.     It  moves  noiselessly.   There's 
the  explanation. 


ACT  in  THEFT  225 

( To   STARKWEATHER.  ) 

While  you  were  at  the  safe,  with  your  back 
turned,  she  lifted  the  window,  tossed  the  papers 
out  to  somebody  waiting — 

(He  sticks  head  and  shoulders  out  of 
window,  peers  down,  then  brings  head 
and  shoulders  back.) 

— No;  they  are  not  there.  Somebody  was 
waiting  for  them. 

STARKWEATHER 

But  how  should  she  know  I  had  them?  You 
had  only  just  recovered  them? 

HUBBARD 

Didn't  Knox  know  right  away  last  night  that 
I  had  taken  them?  I  took  the  up-elevator  in 
stead  of  the  down  when  I  heard  him  running 
along  the  hall.  Trust  him  to  let  her  know  what 
had  happened.  She  was  the  only  one  who  could 
recover  them  for  him.  Else  why  did  she  come 
here  so  immediately  this  morning?  To  steal 
the  package,  of  course.  And  she  had  some  one 
waiting  outside.  She  tossed  them  out  and  closed 
the  window — 

(He  closes  window.) 

— You   notice   it   makes    no    sound.   — and    sat 
down  again — all  while  your  back  was  turned. 
15 


226  THEFT  ACT  in 

STARKWEATHER 
Margaret,  is  this  true? 

MARGARET 

(Excitedly.) 

Yes,  the  window.     Why  didn't  you  think  of 
it  before?     Of  course,  the  window.     He — some 
body  was  waiting.     They  are  gone  now— miles 
and    miles    away.       You   will    never   get    them. 
They  are  in  his  hands  now.     He  will  use  them  in 
his  speech  this  afternoon. 
(Laughs  wildly.) 
(Suddenly   changing   her   tone   to   mock 

meekness,  subtle  with  defiance.) 
May  I  go — now? 

(Nobody  answers,  and  she  makes  exit.} 
(A      moment's     pause,     during     which 
STARKWEATHER,  CHALMERS,  and  HUB- 
BARD  look   at  each  other  in  stupefac 
tion.) 

CURTAIN 


ACT  IV 


ACT  IV 

SCENE.    Same  as  Act  I.    It  is  half  past  one  of  same 

day. 
Curtain   discloses   KNOX    seated   at   right   front   and 

waiting.    He  is  dejected  in  attitude. 
("MARGARET  enters  from  right  rear,  and  advances  to 

him.    He  rises  awkwardly  and  shakes  hands.    She 

is  very  calm  and  self-possessed.) 

MARGARET 

I  knew  you  would  come.     Strange  that  I  had 
to  send  for  you  so  soon  after  last  night — 

(With  alarm  and  sudden  change  of  man 
ner.) 

What   is   the   matter?    You   are   sick.     Your 
hand  is  cold. 

(She  warms  it  in  both  of  her  hands.) 

KNOX 

It  is  flame  or  freeze  with  me. 

(Smiling.) 
And  I'd  rather  flame. 

MARGARET 

(Becoming   aware   that  she   is  warming 
his  hand.) 

229 


230  THEFT  ACT  iv 

Sit  down  and  tell  me  what  is  the  matter. 

(Leading  him  by  the  hand  she  seats  him, 
at   the  same  time  seating  herself.) 

KNOX 

(Abruptly.) 

After  you  left  last  night,  Hubbard  stole  those 
documents  back  again. 

MARGARET 

(Very  matter-of-fact.) 

Yes;  he  was   in  your  bedroom  while  I   was 
there. 

KNOX 

(Startled.) 

How    do   you   know   that?     Anyway,   he   did 
not  know  who  you  were. 

MARGARET 
Oh  yes  he  did. 

KNOX 

(Angrily.) 

And  he  has  dared — ? 

MARGARET 
Yes ;  not  two  hours  ago.     He  announced  the 


ACT  IV 


THEFT  231 


fact  before  my  father,  my  mother,  Connie,  the 
servants,  everybody. 

KNOX 

(Rising  to  his  feet  and  beginning  to  pace 
perturbedly  up  and  down.) 

The  cur ! 

MARGARET 

(Quietly.) 

I  believe,  among  other  things,  I  told  him  he 
was  that  myself. 

(She  laughs  cynically.) 

Oh,  it  was  a  pretty  family  party,  I  assure  you. 
Mother  said  she  didn't  believe  it— but  that  was 
only  hysteria.  Of  course  she  believes  it— the 
worst.  So  does  Connie— everybody. 

KNOX 

(Stopping  abruptly  and  looking  at  her  hor 
ror-stricken.) 
You  don't  mean  they  charged ? 

MARGARET 

No ;  I  don't  mean  that.  I  mean  more.  They 
didn't  charge.  They  accepted  it  as  a  proven 
fact  that  I  was  guilty.  That  you  were  my— 
lover. 


232  THEFT  ACT  iv 

KNOX 
On  that  man's  testimony? 

MARGARET 
He  had  two  witnesses  in  an  adjoining  room. 

KNOX 

.    (Relieved.) 

All  the  better.  They  can  testify  to  nothing 
more  than  the  truth,  and  the  truth  is  not  serious. 
In  our  case  it  is  good,  for  we  renounced  each 
other. 

MARGARET 

You  don't  know  these  men.  It  is  easy  to 
guess  that  they  have  been  well  trained.  They 
would  swear  to  anything. 

(She  laughs  bitterly.) 

They  are  my  father's  men,  you  know,  his  paid 
sleuth-hounds. 

KNOX 

(Collapsing    in    chair,    holding    head    in 

hands,  and  groaning.) 

How  you  must  have  suffered.  What  a  terrible 
time,  what  a  terrible  time!  I  can  see  it  all— 
before  everybody — your  nearest  and  dearest. 
Ah,  I  could  not  understand,  after  our  parting 


ACT  iv  THEFT  233 

last  night,  why  you  should  have  sent  for  me  to 
day.     But  now  I  know. 

MARGARET 
No  you  don't,  at  all. 

KNOX 

(Ignoring  her  and  again  beginning  to 
pace  back  and  forth,  thinking  on  his 
feet.) 

What's  the  difference?  I  am  ruined  politi 
cally.  Their  scheme  has  worked  out  only  too 
well.  Gifford  warned  me,  you  warned  me, 
everybody  warned  me.  But  I  was  a  fool,  blind 
—with  a  fool's  folly.  There  is  nothing  left  but 
you  now. 

(He    pauses,    and    the    light    of    a   new 

thought  irradiates  his  face.) 
Do  you  know,  Margaret,  I  thank  God  it  has 
happened  as  it  has.  What  if  my  usefulness  is 
destroyed?  There  will  be  other  men — other 
leaders.  I  but  make  way  for  another.  The 
cause  of  the  people  can  never  be  lost.  And 
though  I  am  driven  from  the  fight,  I  am  driven 
to  you.  We  are  driven  together.  It  is  fate. 
Again  I  thank  God  for  it. 

(He  approaches  her  and  tries  to  clasp 
her  in  his  arms,  but  she  steps  back.) 


234  THEFT  ACT  iv 

MARGARET 

(Smiling  sadly.) 

Ah,  now  you  flame.  The  tables  are  reversed. 
Last  night  it  was  I.  We  are  fortunate  that  we 
choose  diverse  times  for  our  moods — else  there 
would  be  naught  but  one  sweet  melting  mad 
disaster. 

KNOX 

But  it  is  not  as  if  we  had  done  this  thing  delib 
erately  and  selfishly.  We  have  renounced. 
We  have  struggled  against  it  until  we  were 
beaten.  And  now  we  are  driven  together,  not 
by  our  doing  but  Fate's.  After  this  affair  this 
morning  there  is  nothing  for  you  but  to  come 
to  me.  And  as  for  me,  despite  my  best,  I  am 
finished.  I  have  failed.  As  I  told  you,  the 
papers  are  stolen.  There  will  be  no  speech  this 
afternoon. 

MARGARET 
(Quietly.) 
Yes  there  will. 

KNOX 

Impossible.  I  would  make  a  triple  fool  of 
myself.  I  would  be  unable  to  substantiate  my 
charges. 


ACT  iv  THEFT 


235 


MARGARET 

You  will  substantiate  them.  What  a  chain 
of  theft  it  is.  My  father  steals  from  the  people. 
The  documents  that  prove  his  stealing  are  stolen 
by  Gherst.  Hubbard  steals  them  from  you  and 
returns  them  to  my  father.  And  I  steal  them 
from  my  father  and  pass  them  back  to  you. 

KNOX 

(Astounded. ) 
You?— You?— 

MARGARET 

Yes;  this  very  morning.  That  was  the  cause 
of  all  the  trouble.  If  I  hadn't  stolen  them  noth 
ing  would  have  happened.  Hubbard  had  just 
returned  them  to  my  father. 

KNOX 

(Profoundly  touched.) 
And  you  did  this  for  me —  ? 

MARGARET 

Dear  man,  I  didn't  do  it  for  you.  I  wasn't 
brave  enough.  I  should  have  given  in.  I  don't 
mind  confessing  that  I  started  to  do  it  for  you, 
but  it  soon  grew  so  terrible  that  I  was  afraid. 


236  THEFT  ACT  iv 

It  grew  so  terrible  that  had  it  been  for  you  alone 
I  should  have  surrendered.  But  out  of  the  ter 
ror  of  it  all  I  caught  a  wider  vision,  and  all  that 
you  said  last  night  rose  before  me.  And  I  knew 
that  you  were  right.  I  thought  of  all  the  people, 
and  of  the  little  children.  I  did  it  for  them, 
after  all.  You  speak  for  them.  I  stole  the  papers 
so  that  you  could  use  them  in  speaking  for  the 
people.  Don't  you  see,  dear  man? 

(Changing  to  angry  recollection.) 
Do  you  know  what  they  cost  me?  Do  you 
know  what  was  clone  to  me,  to-day,  this  morning, 
in  my  father's  house  ?  I  was  shamed,  humiliated, 
as  I  would  never  have  dreamed  it  possible.  Do 
you  know  what  they  did  to  me?  The  servants 
were  called  in,  and  by  them  I  was  stripped 
before  everybody — my  family,  Hubbard,  the  Rev 
erend  Mr.  Rutland,  the  secretary,  everybody. 

KNOX 
(Stunned.) 

Stripped you  ? 

MARGARET 
Every  stitch.     My  father  commanded  it. 

KNOX 

(Suddenly  visioning  the  scene.) 
My  God! 


ACT  IV  237 

MARGARET 

(Recovering  herself  and  speaking  cynic 
ally,  with  a  laugh  at  his  shocked  face.) 
No ;  it  was  not  so  bad  as  that.     There  was  a 
screen. 

(KNOX  appears  somewhat  relieved.) 
But  it  fell  down  in  the  midst  of  the  struggle. 

KNOX 

But  in  heaven's  name  why  was  this  done  to 

you? 

MARGARET 

Searching  for  the  lost  letters.  They  knew 
I  had  taken  them. 

(Speaking  gravely.) 

So  you  see,  I  have  earned  those  papers.  And 
I  have  earned  the  right  to  say  what  shall  be  done 
with  them.  I  shall  give  them  to  you,  and  you 
will  use  them  in  your  speech  this  afternoon. 

KNOX 
I  don't  want  them. 

MARGARET 

(Going  to  bell  and  ringing.) 
Oh  yes  you  do.     They  are  more  valuable  right 
now  than  anything  else  in  the  world. 


238  THEFT  ACT  iv 

KNOX 

(Shaking  his  head.) 
I  wish  it  hadn't  happened. 

MARGARET 

(Returning  to  him,  pausing  by  his  chair, 

and  caressing  his  hair.) 
What? 

KNOX 

This  morning — your  recovering  the  letters.  I 
had  adjusted  myself  to  their  loss,  and  the  loss  of 
the  fight,  and  the  finding  of — you. 

(He  reaches  up,  draws  down  her  hand, 

and  presses  it  to  his  lips.) 
So — give  them  back  to  your  father. 

(MARGARET    draws    quickly    away    from 

him.) 
(Enter  MAN-SERVANT  at  right  rear.) 

MARGARET 

Send  Linda  to  me. 

(Exit   MAN-SERVANT.) 

KNOX 
What  are  you  doing? 


ACT  iv  THEFT  239 

MARGARET 

(Sitting  down.) 

I  am  going  to  send  Linda  for  them.  They 
are  still  in  my  father's  house,  hidden,  of  all 
places,  behind  Lincoln's  portrait.  He  will  guard 
them  safely,  I  know. 

KNOX 

(With  fervor.) 

Margaret!  Margaret!  Don't  send  for  them. 
Let  them  go.  I  don't  want  them. 

(Rising     and     going     toward     her     im 
pulsively.) 
(MARGARET    rises   and   retreats,    holding 

him  off.) 
I  want  you — you — you. 

(He  catches  her  hand  and  kisses  it.     She 
tears  it  away  from  him,  but  tenderly.) 

MARGARET 

(Still     retreating,     roguishly     and     ten 
derly.  ) 

Dear,  dear  man,  I  love  to  see  you  so.  But  it 
cannot  be. 

(Looking  anxiously  toward  right  rear.) 
No,  no,  please,  please  sit  down. 


240  THEFT 


ACT   IV 


(Enter  LINDA  from  right  rear.     She  is 
dressed  for  the  street.) 

MARGARET 

(Surprised.) 
Where  are  you  going? 

LINDA 

Tommy  and  the  nurse  and  I  were  going  down 
town.  There  is  some  shopping  she  wants  to  do. 

MARGARET 

Very  good.     But  go  first  to  my  father's  house. 
Listen  closely.  In  the  library,  behind  the  portrait 
of  Lincoln — you  know  it  ? 
( LINDA  nods.) 

You  will  find  a  packet  of  papers.  It  took  me 
five  seconds  to  put  it  there.  It  will  take  you  no 
longer  to  get  it.  Let  no  one  see  you.  Let  it 
appear  as  though  you  had  brought  Tommy  to 
see  his  grandmother  and  cheer  her  up.  You 
know  she  is  not  feeling  very  well  just  now. 
After  you  get  the  papers,  leave  Tommy  there 
and  bring  them  immediately  back  to  me.  Step 
on  a  chair  to  the  ledge  of  the  bookcase,  and 
reach  behind  the  portrait.  You  should  be  back 
inside  fifteen  minutes.  Take  the  car. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  241 

LINDA 

Tommy  and  the  nurse  are  already  in  it,  wait 
ing  for  me. 

MARGARET 

Be  careful.     Be  quick. 

( LINDA    nods    to    each    instruction    and 
makes  exit.') 

KNOX 

(Bursting  out  passionately.) 
This  is  madness.  You  are  sacrificing  yourself, 
and  me.  I  don't  want  them.  I  want  you.  I  am 
tired.  What  does  anything  matter  except  love? 
I  have  pursued  ideals  long  enough.  Now  I 
want  you. 

MARGARET 
(Gravely.) 

Ah,  there  you  have  expressed  the  pith  of  it. 
You  will  now  forsake  ideals  for  me — 

(He  attempts  to  interrupt.) 
No,  no;  not  that  I  am  less  than  an  ideal.     I 
have  no  silly  vanity  that  way.     But  I  want  you 
to  remain  ideal,  and  you  can  only  by  going  on — 
not  by  being  turned  back.  Anybody  can  play  the 
coward   and  assert   they  are   fatigued.     I  could 
not  love  a  coward.     It  was  your  strength  that 
16 


242  THEFT 


ACT   IV 


saved  us  last  night.  I  could  not  have  loved  you 
as  I  do,  now,  had  you  been  weak  last  night.  You 
can  only  keep  my  love — 

KNOX 

(Interrupting,  bitterly.) 

By  foregoing  it — for  an  ideal.  Margaret, 
what  is  the  biggest  thing  in  the  world?  Love. 
There  is  the  greatest  ideal  of  all. 

MARGARET 
(Playfully.) 
Love  of  man  and  woman? 

KNOX 
What  else? 

MARGARET 
(Gravely.) 

There  is  one  thing  greater — love  of  man  for 
his  fellowman. 

KNOX 

Oh,  how  you  turn  my  preachments  back  on 
me.  It  is  a  lesson.  Nevermore  shall  I  preach. 
Henceforth — 

MARGARET 
Yes. 

(CHALMERS    enters    unobserved    at    left, 
pauses,  and  looks  on.) 


ACT  iv  THEFT  243 

KNOX 
Henceforth  I  love.     Listen. 

MARGARET 

You  are  overwrought.  It  will  pass,  and  you 
will  see  your  path  straight  before  you,  and  know 
that  I  am  right.  You  cannot  run  away  from 
the  fight. 

KNOX 

I  can — and  will.  I  want  you,  and  you  want 
me — the  man's  and  woman's  need  for  each  other. 
Come,  go  with  me — now.  Let  us  snatch  at  hap 
piness  while  we  may. 

(He  arises,  approaches  her,  and  gets  her 
hand  in  his.     She  becomes  more  com 
plaisant,  and,  instead  of  repulsing  him, 
is  willing  to  listen  and  receive.) 
As  I  have  said,  the  fight  will  go  on  just  the 
same.     Scores  of  men,  better  men,  stronger  men, 
than  I,  will  rise  to  take  my  place.     Why  do  I 
talk  this  way?     Because   I   love  you,  love  you, 
love  you.     Nothing  else  exists  in  all  the  world 
but  love  of  you. 

MARGARET 


(Melting  and  wavering. 
Ah,  you  flame,  you  flame. 


244  THEFT  ACT  iv 

(CHALMERS  utters  an  inarticulate  cry  of 
rage  and  rushes  forward  at  KNOX) 

(MARGARET  and  KNOX  are  startled  by  the 
cry  and  discover  CHALMER'S  presence.) 

MARGARET 

Confronting     CHALMERS    and     thrusting 
him  slightly  back  from  KNOX,  and  con 
tinuing  to  hold  him  off  from  KNOX.) 
No,  Tom,  no  dramatics,  please.     This  excite 
ment   of  yours   is  only   automatic   and   conven 
tional.     You    really   don't   mean   it.     You  don't 
even  feel  it.     You  do  it  because  it  is  expected  of 
you  and  because   it   is   your   training.     Besides, 
it  is  bad  for  your  heart.     Remember  Dr.  West's 
warning — 

(CHALMERS,  making  an  unusually  violent 
effort  to  get  at  KNOX,  suddenly  stag 
gers  weakly  back,  signs  of  pain  on  his 
face,  holding  a  hand  convulsively 
clasped  over  his  heart.  Margaret 
catches  him  and  supports  him  to  a  chairf 
into  which  he  collapses.) 

CHALMERS 

(Muttering    weakly.) 
My  heart!     My  heart! 


ACT  iv  THEFT 


KNOX 


245 


(Approaching.) 
Can  I  do  anything? 

MARGARET 

(Calmly.) 

No;  it  is  all  right.  He  will  be  better  pres 
ently. 

(She  is  bending  over  CHALMERS,  her 
hand  on  his  wrist,  zuhen  suddenly,  as 
a  sign  he  is  recovering,  he  violently 
flings  her  hand  off  and  straightens  up.) 

KNOX 

(Undecidedly.) 
I  shall  go  now. 

MARGARET 

No.  You  will  wait  until  Linda  comes  back. 
Besides,  you  can't  run  away  from  this  and  leave 
me  alone  to  face  it. 

KNOX 

(Hurt,  showing  that  he  will  stay.) 
I  am  not  a  coward. 


246  THEFT  ACT  iv 

CHALMERS 

(In  a  stifled  voice  that  grows  stronger.1) 
Yes;  wait.     I  have  a  word  for  you. 

(He  pauses    a    moment,    and    when    he 
speaks  again  his  voice  is  all  right.) 

(  Witheringly. ) 

A  nice  specimen  of  a  reformer,  I  must  say. 
You,  who  babbled  yesterday  about  theft.  The 
most  high,  righteous  and  noble  Ali  Baba,  who 
has  come  into  the  den  of  thieves  and  who  is  also 
a  thief. 

(Mimicking  MARGARET.) 
"Ah,  you   flame,  you  flame!" 

(In   his  natural  voice.) 

I  should  call  you;  you  thief,  you  thief,  you 
wife-stealer,  you. 

MARGARET 

(Coolly.) 
I  should  scarcely  call  it  theft. 

CHALMERS 

(Sneeringly.) 

Yes;  I  forgot.  You  mean  it  is  not  theft  for 
him  to  take  what  already  belongs  to  him. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  247 

MARGARET 

Not  quite  that — but  in  taking  what  has  been 
freely  offered  to  him. 

CHALMERS 

You  mean  you  have  so  forgotten  your  woman 
hood  as  to  offer — 

MARGARET 

Just  that.      Last  night.      And  Mr.  Knox  did 
himself  the  honor  of  refusing  me. 

KNOX 

(Bursting  forth.) 
You  see,  nothing  else  remains,  Margaret. 

CHALMERS 

(T  wittingly.) 
Ah,  "Margaret." 

KNOX 

(Ignoring  him.) 
The  situation  is  intolerable. 

CHALMERS 

(Emphatically). 
It  is  intolerable.     Don't  you  think  you  had  bet- 


248  THEFT  ACT  iv 

ter  leave   this  house?     Every  moment  of  your 
presence  dishonors  it. 

MARGARET 
Don't  talk  of  honor,  Tom. 

CHALMERS 

I  make  no  excuses  for  myself.  I  fancy  I 
never  fooled  you  very  much.  But  at  any  rate 
I  never  used  my  own  house  for  such  purposes. 

KNOX 

(Springing  at  him.) 
You  cur! 

MARGARET 

(Interposing.) 
No ;  don't.     His  heart. 

CHALMERS 

(Mimicking  MARGARET.) 
No  dramatics,  please. 

MARGARET 

(Plaintively,  looking  from  one  man  to  the 

other.} 
Men  are  so  strangely  and  wonderfully  made. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  249 

What  am  I  to  do  with  the  pair  of  you?     Why 
won't  you  reason  together  like  rational  human 

beings  ? 

CHALMERS 

(Bitterly  gay,  rising  to  his  feet.) 
Yes;  let  us  come  and  reason  together.  Be 
rational.  Sit  down  and  talk  it  over  like  civilized 
humans.  This  is  not  the  stone  age.  Be  reas 
sured,  Mr.  Knox.  I  won't  brain  you.  Mar 
garet— 

(Indicating  chair.) 
Sit  down.     Mr.  Knox — 

(Indicating  chair.) 
Sit  down. 

(All  three  seat  themselves,  in  a  triangle.) 
Behold  the  problem— the  ever  ancient  and  ever 
young  triangle  of  the  playwright  and  the  short 
story  writer — two  men  and  a  woman. 

KNOX 

True,  and  yet  not  true.  The  triangle  is  in 
complete.  Only  one  of  the  two  men  loves  the 
woman. 

CHALMERS 

Yes? 

KNOX 

And  I  am  that  man. 


ACT   IV 


250  THEFT 

CHALMERS 

I  fancy  you're  right. 

(Nodding  his  head.) 
But  how  about  the  woman  ? 

MARGARET 
She  loves  one  of  the  two  men. 

KNOX 
And  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it? 

CHALMERS 

(Judicially.) 
She  has  not  yet  indicated  the  man. 

(MARGARET  is  about  to  indicate  KNOX.) 
Be     careful,     Madge.       Remember     who     is 
Tommy's  father. 

MARGARET 

Tom,    honestly,    remembering   what    the    last 
years   have  been   can  you   imagine  that  I  love 


you? 


CHALMERS 


I'm    afraid    I've    not — er — not    flamed    suffi 
ciently. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  251 

MARGARET 

You  have  possibly  spoken  nearer  the  truth 
than  you  dreamed.  I  married  you,  Tom,  hoping 
great  things  of  you.  I  hoped  you  would  be  a 
power  for  good — 

CHALMERS 

Politics  again.  When  will  women  learn  they 
must  leave  politics  alone? 

MARGARET 

And  also,  I  hoped  for  love.  I  knew  you 
didn't  love  me  when  we  married,  but  I  hoped 
for  it  to  come. 

CHALMERS 

And — er — may  I  be  permitted  to  ask  if  you 
loved  me? 

MARGARET 

No ;  but  I  hoped  that,  too,  would  come. 

CHALMERS 
It  was,  then,  all  a  mistake. 

MARGARET 
Yes ;  yours,  and  mine,  and  my  father's. 


252  THEFT 


ACT  IV 


KNOX 

We  have  sat  down  to  reason  this  out,  and  we 
get  nowhere.  Margaret  and  I  love  each  other. 
Your  triangle  breaks. 

CHALMERS 

It  isn't  a  triangle  after  all.  You  forget 
Tommy. 

KNOX 

(Petulantly.) 

Make  it  four-sided,  then,  but  let  us  come  to 
some  conclusion. 

CHALMERS 
(Reflecting.) 

Ah,  it  is  more  than  that.  There  is  a  fifth 
side.  There  are  the  stolen  letters  which  Madge 
has  just  this  morning  restolen  from  her  father. 
Whatever  settlement  takes  place,  they  must  enter 
into  it. 

(Changing  his  tone.) 

Look  here,  Madge,  I  am  a  fool.  Let  us  talk 
sensibly,  you  and  Knox  and  I.  Knox,  you  want 
my  wife.  You  can  have  her — on  one  consid 
eration.  Madge,  you  want  Knox.  You  can 
have  him  on  one  consideration,  the  same  consid 
eration.^  Give  up  the  letters  and  we'll  forget 
everything. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  253 

MARGARET 
Everything? 

CHALMERS 
Everything.     Forgive  and  forget.     You  know. 

MARGARET 
You  will  forgive  my  — I — this — this  adultery? 

CHALMERS 

(Doggedly.) 

I'll  forgive  anything  for  the  letters.  I've 
played  fast  and  loose  with  you,  Madge,  and  I 
fancy  your  playing  fast  and  loose  only  evens 
things  up.  Return  the  letters  and  you  can  go 
with  Knox  quietly.  I'll  see  to  that.  There 
won't  be  a  breath  of  scandal.  I'll  give  you  a 
divorce.  Or  you  can  stay  on  with  me  if  you 
want  to.  I  don't  care.  What  I  want  is  the  let 
ters.  Is  it  agreed  ? 

(MARGARET  seems  to  hesitate.) 

KNOX 

(Pleadingly.) 
Margaret. 

MARGARET 

And  Tommy? 


254  THEFT  ACT  IV 

CHALMERS 
(Testily.) 

Am  I  not  giving  you  each  other  ?  What  more 
do  you  want?  Tommy  stays  with  me.  If  you 
want  Tommy,  then  stay  with  me,  but  you  must 
give  up  the  letters. 

MARGARET 

I  shall  not  go  with  Mr.  Knox.  I  shall  not 
give  up  the  letters.  I  shall  remain  with  Tommy. 

CHALMERS 

So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  Knox  doesn't  count 
in  this.  I  want  the  letters  and  I  want  Tommy. 
If  you  don't  give  them  up,  I'll  divorce  you  on 
statutory  grounds,  and  no  woman,  so  divorced, 
can  keep  her  child.  In  any  event,  I  shall  keep 
Tommy. 

MARGARET 

(Speaking  steadily  and  positively.) 
Listen,  Tom;  and  you,  too,  Howard.  I  have 
never  for  a  moment  entertained  the  thought  of 
giving  up  the  letters.  I  may  have  led  you  to 
think  so,  but  I  wanted  to  see  just  how  low, 
you,  Tom,  could  sink.  I  saw  how  low  you— all 
of  you— this  morning  sank.  I  have  learned- 
much.  Where  is  this  fine  honor,  Tom,  which 


ACT  iv  THEFT  255 

put  you  on  a  man-killing  rage  a  moment  ago? 
You'll  barter  it  all  for  a  few  scraps  of  paper, 
and  forgive  and  forget  adultery  which  does  not 
exist — 

(CHALMERS  laughs  skeptically,) 
— though  I  know  when  I  say  it  you  will  not 
believe  me.  At  any  rate,  I  shall  not  give  up  the 
letters.  Not  if  you  do  take  Tommy  away  from 
me.  Not  even  for  Tommy  will  I  sacrifice  all  the 
people.  As  I  told  you  this  morning,  there  are 
two  million  Tommys,  child-laborers  all,  who  can 
not  be  sacrificed  for  Tommy's  sake  or  anybody's 
sake. 

(CHALMERS    shrugs    his    shoulders    and 
smiles  in  ridicule.) 

KNOX 

Surely,  Margaret,  there  is  a  way  out  for  us. 
Give  up  the  letters.  What  are  they? — only 
scraps  of  paper.  Why  match  them  against  hap 
piness — our  happiness? 

MARGARET 

But  as  you  told  me  yourself,  those  scraps  of 
paper  represent  the  happiness  of  millions  of 
lives.  It  is  not  our  happiness  that  is  matched 
against  some  scraps  of  paper.  It  is  our  happi- 


256  THEFT  ACT  iv 

ness  against  millions  of  lives — like  ours.  All 
these  millions  have  hearts,  and  loves,  and  de 
sires,  just  like  ours. 

KNOX 

But  it  is  a  great  social  and  cosmic  process. 
It  does  not  depend  on  one  man.  Kill  off,  at  this 
instant,  every  leader  of  the  people,  and  the  proc 
ess  will  go  on  just  the  same.  The  people  will 
come  into  their  own.  Theft  will  be  unseated. 
It  is  destiny.  It  is  the  process.  Nothing  can 
stop  it. 

MARGARET 
But  it  can  be  retarded. 

KNOX 

You  and  I  are  no  more  than  straws  in  rela 
tion  to  it.  We  cannot  stop  it  any  more  than 
straws  can  stop  an  ocean  tide.  We  mean  noth 
ing — except  to  each  other,  and  to  each  other  we 
mean  all  the  world. 

MARGARET 

(Sadly  and  tenderly.) 
All  the  world  and  immortality  thrown  in. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  257 

CHALMERS 

(Breaking  in.) 

Nice  situation,  sitting  here  and  listening  to  a 
strange  man  woo  my  wife  in  terms  of  sociology 
and  scientific  slang. 

(Both  MARGARET  and  KNOX  ignore  him.) 

KNOX 
Dear,  I  want  you  so. 

MARGARET 
(Despairingly.) 
Oh !     It  is  so  hard  to  do  right ! 

KNOX 

(Eagerly.) 

He  wants  the  letters  very  badly.  Give  them 
up  for  Tommy.  He  will  give  Tommy  for  them. 

CHALMERS 

No;  emphatically  no.  If  she  wants  Tommy 
she  can  stay  on;  but  she  must  give  up  the  let 
ters.  If  she  wants  you  she  may  go;  but  she 
must  give  up  the  letters. 

KNOX 

(Pleading  for  a  decision.) 
Margaret. 
17 


258  THEFT 


ACT    IV 


MARGARET 

Howard.  Don't  tempt  me  and  press  me.  It 
is  hard  enough  as  it  is. 

CHALMERS 
(Standing  up.) 

I've  had  enough  of  this.  The  thing  must  be 
settled,  and  I  leave  it  to  you,  Knox.  Go  on 
with  your  love-making.  But  I  won't  be  a  wit 
ness  to  it.  Perhaps  I — er — retard  the — er — the 
flame  process.  You  two  must  make  up  your 
minds,  and  you  can  do  it  better  without  me.  I 
am  going  to  get  a  drink  and  settle  my  nerves. 
I'll  be  back  in  a  minute. 

(He  moves  toward  exit  to  right.) 
She  will  yield,  Knox.     Be  warm,  be  warm. 

(Pausing  in  doorway.) 
Ah,  you  flame!     Flame  to  some  purpose. 
(Exit  CHALMERS.) 

(KNOX  rests  his  head  despairingly  on 
his  hand,  and  MARGARET,  pausing  and 
looking  at  him  sadly  for  a  moment, 
crosses  to  him,  stands  beside  him,  and 
caresses  his  hair.) 

MARGARET 

It  is  hard,  I  know,  dear.     And  it  is  hard  for 
me  as  well. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  259 

KNOX 
It  is  so  unnecessary. 

MARGARET 

No,  it  is  necessary.  What  you  said  last  night, 
when  I  was  weak,  was  wise.  We  cannot  steal 
from  my  child — 

KNOX 

But  if  he  gives  you  Tommy? 

MARGARET 

(Shaking  her  head.) 

Nor  can  we  steal  from  any  other  woman's 
child — from  all  the  children  of  all  the  women. 
And  other  things  I  heard  you  say,  and  you  were 
right.  We  cannot  live  by  ourselves  alone.  We 
are  social  animals.  Our  good  and  our  ill — all 
is  tied  up  with  all  humanity. 

KNOX 

(Catching  her  hand  and  caressing  it.) 
I  do  not  follow  you.  I  hear  your  voice,  but  I 
do  not  know  a  word  you  say.  Because  I  am 
loving  your  voice— and  you.  I  am  so  filled  with 
love  that  there  is  no  room  for  anything  else. 
And  you,  who  yesterday  were  so  remote  and  un- 


260  THEFT  ACT  iv 

attainable,  are  so  near  and  possible,  so  imme 
diately  possible.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  say 
the  word,  one  little  word.  Say  it. — Say  it. 

(He  carries  her  hand  to  his  lips  and  holds 
it  there.) 

MARGARET 

(Wistfully.) 

I  should  like  to.  I  should  like  to.  But  I 
can't. 

KNOX 
You  must. 

MARGARET 

There  are  other  and  greater  things  that  say 
must  to  me.  Oh,  my  dear,  have  you  forgotten 
them?  Things  you  yourself  have  spoken  to 
me — the  great  stinging  things  of  the  spirit,  that 
are  greater  than  you  and  I,  greater  even  than 
our  love. 

KNOX 

I  exhaust  my  arguments — but  still  I  love  you. 

MARGARET 

And  I  love  you  for  it. 

(CHALMERS  enters  from  right,  and  sees 
MARGARET  still  caressing 


ACT  iv  THEFT  261 

CHALMERS 

(With   mild  Delation,    touched   with   sar 
casm.  ) 

Ah,   I    see   you   have   taken   my   advice,   and 
reached  a  decision. 

(They  do  not  answer.     MARGARET  moves 

slowly  away  and  seats  herself.) 
(KNOX    remains    with    head    bowed    on 

hand.) 
No? 

(MARGARET  shakes  her  head.) 
Well,  I've  thought  it  over,  and  I've  changed 
my  terms.     Madge,  go  with  Knox,  take  Tommy 
with  you. 

(MARGARET    wavers,     but    KNOX,    head 

bowed  on  hand,  does  not  see  her.) 
There    will  be   no   scandal.     I'll   give   you   a 
proper  divorce.     And  you  can  have  Tommy. 

KNOX 

(Suddenly    raising    his    head,    joyfully, 

pleadingly. ) 
Margaret ! 

(MARGARET    is    swayed,    but    does    not 
speak. ) 

CHALMERS 
You  and  I  never  hit  it  off  together  any  too 


262  THEFT 


ACT   IV 


extraordinarily  well,  Madge;  but  I'm  not  alto 
gether  a  bad  sort.  I  am  easy-going.  I  always 
have  been  easy-going.  I'll  make  everything 
easy  for  you  now.  But  you  see  the  fix  I  am  in. 
You  love  another  man,  and  I  simply  must  re 
gain  those  letters.  It  is  more  important  than 
you  realize. 

MARGARET 

(Incisively.) 

You  make  me  realize  how  important  those  let 
ters  are. 

KNOX 

Give  him  the  letters,  Margaret. 

CHALMERS 
So  she  hasn't  turned  them  over  to  you  yet  ? 

MARGARET 
No ;  I  still  have  them. 

KNOX 
Give  them  to  him. 

CHALMERS 

Selling     out     for     a     petticoat.       A     pretty 
reformer. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  263 

KNOX 
(Proudly.) 

A  better  lover. 

MARGARET 

(To  CHALMERS.) 

He  is  weak  to-day.  What  of  it?  He  was 
strong  last  night.  He  will  win  back  his  strength 
again.  It  is  human  to  be  weak.  And  in  his 
very  weakness  now,  I  have  my  pride,  for  it  is  the 
weakness  of  love.  God  knows  I  have  been  weak, 
and  I  am  not  ashamed  of  it.  It  was  the  weak 
ness  of  love.  It  is  hard  to  stifle  one's  woman 
hood  always  with  morality. 

(Quickly.) 

But  do  not  mistake,  Tom.  This  of  mine  is  no 
conventional  morality.  '  I  do  not  care  about 
nasty  gossipy  tongues  and  sensation-mongering 
sheets;  nor  do  I  care  what  any  persons  of  all 
the  persons  I  know,  would  say  if  I  went  away 
with  Mr.  Knox  this  instant.  I  would  go,  and 
go  gladly  and  proudly  with  him,  divorce  or  no 
divorce,  scandal  or  scandal  triple-fold — if — if  no 
one  else  were  hurt  by  what  I  did. 

(To  KNOX.) 

Howard,  I  tell  you  that  I  would  go  with  you 
now,  in  all  willingness  and  joy,  with  May-time 
and  the  songs  of  all  singing  birds  in  my  heart — 


264  THEFT 


ACT  IV 


were  it  not  for  the  others.     But  there  is  a  higher 
morality.      We  must  not  hurt  those  others.     We 
dare  not  steal  our  happiness  from  them.       The 
future  belongs  to  them,  and  we  must  not,  dare 
not,  sacrifice  that  future  nor  give  it  in  pledge  for 
our  own  happiness.    Last  night  I  came  to  you.  I 
was  weak— yes ;  more  than  that— I  was  ignorant. 
I  did  not  know,  even  as  late  as  last  night,  the 
monstrous  vileness,  the  consummate  wickedness 
of  present-day  conditions.       I  learned  that  to 
day,  this  morning,  and  now.      I  learned  that  the 
morality   of  the    Church   was   a   pretense.     Far 
deeper  than   it,   and  vastly  more  powerful,  was 
the  morality  of  the  dollar.     My  father,  my' fam 
ily,  my  husband,  were  willing  to  condone  what 
they  believed  was  my  adultery.     And  for  what  ? 
For  a  few  scraps  of  paper  that  to  them  repre 
sented  only  the  privilege  to  plunder,  the  privi 
lege  to  steal  from  the  people. 

(To  CHALMERS.) 

Here  are  you,  Tom,  not  only  willing  and  eager 
to  give  me  into  the  arms  of  the  man  you  believe 
my  lover,  but  you  throw  in  your  boy — your  child 
and  mine — to  make  it  good  measure  and  accept 
able.  And  for  what?  Love  of  some  woman? 
—any  woman?  No.  Love  of  humanity?  No. 
Love  of  God?  No.  Then  for  what?  For  the 


ACT  iv  THEFT  265 

privilege  of  perpetuating  your  stealing  from  the 
people — money,  bread  and  butter,  hats,  shoes,  and 
stockings — for  stealing  all  these  things  from  the 
people. 

(To  KNOX.) 

Now,  and  at  last,  do  I  realize  how  stern  and 
awful  is  the  fight  that  must  be  waged — the  fight 
in  which  you  and  I,  Howard,  must  play  our  parts 
and  play  them  bravely  and  uncomplainingly — 
you  as  well  as  I,  but  I  even  more  than  you.  This 
is  the  den  of  thieves.  I  am  a  child  of  thieves. 
All  my  family  is  composed  of  thieves.  I  have 
been  fed  and  reared  on  the  fruits  of  thievery. 
I  have  been  a  party  to  it  all  my  life.  Somebody 
must  cease  from  this  theft,  and  it  is  I.  And 
you  must  help  me,  Howard. 

CHALMERS 

(Emitting  a  low  long  whistle.) 
Strange  that   you   never   went   into  the   suf 
fragette   business.        With    such    speech-making 
ability  you  would  have  been  a  shining  light. 

KNOX 
(Sadly.) 

The  worst  of  it  is,  Margaret,  you  are  right. 
But  it  is  hard  that  we  cannot  be  happy  save  by 
stealing  from  the  happiness  of  others.  Yet  it 


266  THEFT  ACT  iv 

hurts,  deep  down  and  terribly,  to  forego  you. 
(MARGARET  thanks  him  with  her  eyes.) 

CHALMERS 

(Sarcastically.) 

Oh,  believe  me,  I  am  not  too  anxious  to  give 
up  my  wife.  Look  at  her.  She's  a  pretty  good 
woman  for  any  man  to  possess. 

MARGARET 

Tom,  I'll  accept  a  quiet  divorce,  marry  Mr. 
Knox,  and  take  Tommy  with  me — on  one  con 
sideration. 

CHALMERS 

And  what  is  that? 

MARGARET 

That  I  retain  the  letters.  They  are  to  be  used 
in  his  speech  this  afternoon. 

CHALMERS 
No  they're  not. 

MARGARET 

Whatever  happens,  do  whatever  worst  you 
can  possibly  do,  that  speech  will  be  given  this 
afternoon.  Your  worst  to  me  will  be  none  too 
great  a  price  for  me  to  pay. 


ACT  iv  THEFT  267 

CHALMERS 

No  letters,  no  divorce,   no  Tommy,  nothing. 
MARGARET 

Then  will  you  compel  me  to  remain  here.  I 
have  done  nothing  wrong,  and  I  don't  imagine 
you  will  make  a  scandal. 

(Enter  LINDA  at  right  rear,  pausing  and 

looking  inquiringly.) 
There  they  are  now. 

(To  LINDA.) 
Yes ;  give  them  to  me. 

(LINDA,  advancing,  draws  package  of 
documents  from  her  breast.  As  she  is 
handing  them  to  MARGARET,  CHAL 
MERS  attempts  to  seize  them.) 

KNOX 

(Springing  forward  and  thrusting  CHAL 
MERS  back.) 
That  you  shall  not ! 

(CHALMERS  is  afflicted  with  heart-seiz 
ure,  and  staggers.) 

MARGARET 

(Maternally,  solicitously.) 
Tom,  don't!    Your  heart!     Be  careful! 


268  THEFT 


ACT  IV 


(CHALMERS    starts    to    stagger    toward 

bell.) 

Howard !     Stop  him !     Don't  let  him  ring,  or 
the  servants  will  get  the  letters  away  from  us. 

(KNOX   starts    to   interpose,    but    CHAL 
MERS,    growing    weaker,   sinks   into    a 
chair,  head  thrown  back  and  legs  out 
straight  before  him.) 
Linda,  a  glass  of  water. 

(  LINDA  gives  documents   to   MARGARET, 
and  makes  running  exit  to  right  rear.) 
(MARGARET  bends  anxiously  over  CHAL 
MERS.) 
(A  pause.) 

KNOX 

(Touching  her  hand.) 
Give  them  to  me. 

(MARGARET    gives    him    the    documents, 

which  he  holds  in  his  hand,  at  the  same 

time  she  thanks  him  with  her  eyes.) 
(Enter  LINDA  with  glass  of  water,  which 

she  hands  to  MARGARET.) 
(MARGARET   tries   to   place   the   glass  to 

CHALMER'S  lips.) 

CHALMERS 
(Dashing   the   glass    violently   from    her 


ACT  iv  THEFT  269 

hand  to  the  floor  and  speaking  in  smoth 
ered  voice.) 
Bring  me  a  whiskey  and  soda. 

( LINDA  looks  at  MARGARET  interroga 
tively.  MARGARET  is  undecided  what  to 
say,  shrugs  her  shoulders  in  helpless 
ness,  and  nods  her  head.) 

( LINDA  makes  hurried  exit  to  right.) 

MARGARET 
(To  KNOX.) 
You  will  go  now  and  you  will  give  the  speech. 

KNOX 
(Placing     documents     in       inside     coat 

pocket.) 
I  will   give  the  speech. 

MARGARET 

And  all  the  forces  making  for  the  good  time 
coming  will  be  quickened  by  your  words.  Let 
the  voices  of  the  millions  be  in  it. 

(CHALMERS,     legs     still    stretched     out, 

laughs  cynically.) 

You  know  where  my  heart  lies.  Some  day, 
in  all  pride  and  honor,  stealing  from  no  one, 
hurting  no  one,  we  shall  come  together — to  be 
together  always. 


270  THEFT  ACT  iv 

KNOX 
(Drearily.) 
And  in  the  meantime? 

MARGARET 
We  must  wait. 

KNOX 

(Decidedly.) 
We  will  wait. 

CHALMERS 

(Straightening  up.) 
For  me  to  die?  eh? 

(During  the  following  speech  LINDA  en 
ters  from  right  with  whiskey  and  soda 
and  gives  it  to  CHALMERS,  who  thirst 
ily  drinks  half  of  it.  MARGARET  dis 
misses  LINDA  with  her  eyes,  and  LINDA 
makes  exit  to  right  rear.) 

KNOX 

I  hadn't  that  in  mind,  but  now  that  you  men 
tion  it,  it  seems  to  the  point.  That  heart  of 
yours  isn't  going  to  carry  you  much  farther. 
You  have  played  fast  and  loose  with  it  as  with 
everything  else.  You  are  like  the  carter  who 
steals  hay  from  his  horse  that  he  may  gamble. 
You  have  stolen  from  your  heart.  Some  day, 


ACT  iv  THEFT  271 

soon,  like  the  horse,  it  will  quit.     We  can  afford 
to  wait.     It  won't  be  long. 

CHALMERS 

(After  laughing  incredulously  and  sip 
ping  his  whiskey.) 

Well,  Knox,  neither  of  us  wins.  You  don't 
get  the  woman.  Neither  do  I.  She  remains 
under  my  roof,  and  I  fancy  that  is  about  all.  I 
won't  divorce  her.  What's  the  good?  But  I've 
got  her  tied  hard  and  fast  by  Tommy.  You 
won't  get  her. 

(KNOX,  ignoring  him,  goes  to  right  rear 
and  pauses  in  doorway.) 

MARGARET 

Work.  Bravely  work.  You  are  my  knight. 
Go. 

(KNOX  makes  exit.) 

(MARGARET  stands  quietly,  face  averted 
from  audience  and  turned  toward  where 
KNOX  was  last  to  be  seen.) 

CHALMERS 
Madge. 

(MARGARET  neither  moves  nor  answers.) 
I  say,  Madge. 


272  THEFT  ACT  iv 

(He  stands  up  and  moves  toward  her, 

holding  whiskey  glass  in  one  hand.) 
That  speech  is  going  to  make  a  devil  of  a  row. 
But  I  don  t  think  it  will  be  so  bad  as  your  father 
says.  It  looks  pretty  dark,  but  such  things  blow 
over.  They  always  do  blow  over.  And  so  with 
you  and  me.  Maybe  we  can  manage  to  forget 
all  this  and  patch  it  up  somehow. 

(She  gives  no  sign  that  she  is  aware  of 

his  existence.) 
Why  don't  you  speak  ? 
(Pause.) 

(He  touches  her  arm.) 
Madge. 

MARGARET 

(Turning  upon  him  in  a  blaze  of  wrath 

and  with  unutterable  loathing.) 
Don't  touch  me! 

(CHALMERS  recoils.) 

CURTAIN 


OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY   , 

<*         J 


Rene 


f£B2  0  '80 


circ.  MAR  2     1983 


271978 


j(\N  0 


Genet 


-7,'66 


GENERAL  LIBRARY  -  U.C.  BERKELEY 


BDDD67M3Dfl 


